tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40261888117438608672018-02-16T00:51:49.332-05:00The Insane AsylumAn inmates take on the world and its people. Please check your sanity at the door and hang your straightjacket in the closet. Now let's have some good old fashioned deranged fun!Michael Melenoreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-41171824330169771252018-02-07T21:37:00.001-05:002018-02-08T09:18:51.734-05:00“Stupid is as Stupid Does: The Tide Pods Challenge"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CgMI6G9JUDg/Wnu2_RQJ1dI/AAAAAAAAEvg/NxOfPRFomx4PdUdeJn-OqR1hsNQDy5v-gCLcBGAs/s1600/eating-tide-pod-challenge.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="705" height="290" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CgMI6G9JUDg/Wnu2_RQJ1dI/AAAAAAAAEvg/NxOfPRFomx4PdUdeJn-OqR1hsNQDy5v-gCLcBGAs/s320/eating-tide-pod-challenge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/01/13/teens-are-daring-each-other-to-eat-tide-pods-we-dont-need-to-tell-you-thats-a-bad-idea/?utm_term=.b6b9c33b6190" target="_blank">Tide Pods Challenge</a>! I don’t even know where to begin. This seems like some crazy urban legend or even a low-budget comedy film, anything but real life. We're all aware&nbsp;this isn’t the first insane challenge to grace our society and if the asylum’s inmates have their way, by no means will it be the last. When we were kids we had to suck on a soap bar because we said something naughty, these fools are deliberately eating this stuff like it is candy, all in the name of a challenge. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I don’t have a problem with the challenges in particularly, that is as long as outsiders don’t get hurt and/or bothered in the process, because I’m all for survival of the smartest and down with the dumbest. I’m not going to lie; dumb people are fun to watch. My issue is with the spectators. I don’t blame them for what is going on with these buffoons, by no means is it their fault, but why are they afraid to call them out on it? As a society we mercilessly attack each other over something as simple as our choices in politics, but when it comes to these knuckleheads we blame the companies, the internet, entertainment, pretty much anything but the individuals who are performing these amazing feats of stupidity themselves. We need to let these kings and queens adorn the crowns of their people, which in this case would be the dunce cap, nevertheless I’m sure they would wear it with pride. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I’m going to get at least one person who cries out like a clubbed in the knee Nancy Kerrigan who says, “They are just kids, why would you say that”? Let’s touch on the word “kids”, because it encompasses an awful lot, basically anyone under eighteen years of age by society’s standards. Don’t get it twisted, the stars of these dope shows are not infants, they are not just learning our world and experiencing things for the first time. The idiots who are performing these less than stellar stunts definitely know better, a lot better unfortunately. The whole, “they are just kids” crap is just that, and needs to be flushed down the toilet and sent to a watery grave!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I4babz3_vUw/Wnu3rPFDGyI/AAAAAAAAEvo/jEBY8zhU658t1WOLpwOCYd2afafakhQJACLcBGAs/s1600/Squirrel-Magnets-with-Mixed-Nuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="584" height="292" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I4babz3_vUw/Wnu3rPFDGyI/AAAAAAAAEvo/jEBY8zhU658t1WOLpwOCYd2afafakhQJACLcBGAs/s640/Squirrel-Magnets-with-Mixed-Nuts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">For the record, all the participants in these whacked out challenges are not under the age of eighteen, as much as it pains me to say. However, we are specifically speaking of the Tide Pods challenge and most of its players seem to be minors so that’s where we stand. I&nbsp;don’t want you to think that we adults are immune to this stuff, far from it; some of us make a box of rocks look like Einstein. These assorted mixed nuts, mostly peanuts of course, do this nonsense so they have something to post on their YouTube channels, all for “likes” and dizzy dreams of fifteen minutes of fame. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There are people in some countries who are fighting for clean water and a morsel of food while we have people (and I use that term loosely) over here eating Tide Pods and continuously dreaming up even more ridiculousness to sink our teeth into every day, without an ounce of remorse or embarrassment. The rest of the world has to look upon us as if we’re riding the short bus! Why wouldn’t they, our mascots all belong in padded rooms wearing the latest in straitjacket fashions. We also have individuals who willingly cheer them on like they were rooting for their favorite sports team, they are not forced to do this, and they freely encourage this kind of behavior.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You want a real challenge; try to successfully endure this world without being a moron. Game, set, match. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Well there you have it, my two cents on a topic that’s worth about half that. Keeping reaching for stars and eating laundry soap packets, keep the American dream alive!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM</span></div><!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --><script async="" src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-40160774-1"></script><script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-40160774-1'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-47167585762102539012017-11-25T22:44:00.000-05:002017-11-26T13:31:55.223-05:00“Save You a Seat”<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sTZGYbtuWNE/Who51CnQ7uI/AAAAAAAAEj8/hbiJCvBFu90xQtV3olVSNCbtkVVdK2BhACLcBGAs/s1600/The-Empty-Chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="950" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sTZGYbtuWNE/Who51CnQ7uI/AAAAAAAAEj8/hbiJCvBFu90xQtV3olVSNCbtkVVdK2BhACLcBGAs/s640/The-Empty-Chair.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When someone says they will save you a seat it means that they appreciate your company and they desire to have you by their side. You are important to them and their time is more valuable with you in it. They request your presence at their special occasion and/or moment of joy because you make it complete. You make the function, regardless of what it is, more enjoyable and meaningful. That is why there will always be a seat saved for my mother, who recently <a href="http://www.theinsaneasylumblog.com/2017/06/an-angel-without-wings.html" target="_blank">passed due to lung cancer</a>, at any and all events in my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I dreamt of her being there to engage in a dance with me on my wedding day, to spoil her grandkid(s) that the stork delivered to me and my future misses and to experience and celebrate all the other milestones that come along with being a son to a mother. Unfortunately she will not be able to join me physically, because these times, not unlike my heart; will be missing someone of beauty, splendor and warmth. She will, however, be there in spirit and that is why there will always be a seat reserved for her. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">This holiday season is going to be extremely difficult to say the least, because what was once cheerful and exciting has now become cold and dreary. We all have painted on smiles like a clown, pretending that our spirits aren’t broken with the hopes of pulling off an Oscar worthy performance for “best happy family” for the sake of the kids and each other. We know we must be strong, for mom, but I would be lying if I told you that I wasn’t fighting back the tears, that the pain from losing her wasn’t embedded on my being like a tattoo, crippling my soul and occupying my thoughts like a protester on Wall Street. My body was there and involved in the festivities, but my mind was locked away in a room with padded walls. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">As a child, when the holiday season approached I anticipated the food she would make without measuring an ounce or reading from a recipe, just good old-fashioned know how. I wrote long lists about things I wanted for Christmas, the things I saw on TV, the hottest trends and of course all the things my friends had that I was envious of. Now the only thing I want is to have her back, to be able to tell her how much I love her and to see her happy and healthy again. The day you lose your mother is the day you lose your childhood, things aren’t the same, that amazement and bewilderment you once had toward life is now gone and replaced with a hard callous skin like that on the bottom of a foot that has taken many steps on hard ground. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Appreciate who you have sitting around your table now, because in the blink of an eye things can go from a celebration to a memorial. You could be faced with an empty chair where once a loved one sat, now reserved in their memory and for their honor. That vacant seat is a symbol of your love for the departed, a token of appreciation for who they were and what they meant to you, but without a doubt never as good as the real thing.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM<o:p></o:p></span></div><!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --><script async="" src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-40160774-1"></script><script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-40160774-1'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-42297713517441088012017-08-23T16:42:00.004-04:002017-10-02T14:37:57.947-04:00“Depression”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jTt23gPZ8T4/WZ3of-UmEgI/AAAAAAAAESk/ovelY0nIsjcrsFtfRuaSMCaYL_MLYglnwCLcBGAs/s1600/depression.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="500" height="486" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jTt23gPZ8T4/WZ3of-UmEgI/AAAAAAAAESk/ovelY0nIsjcrsFtfRuaSMCaYL_MLYglnwCLcBGAs/s640/depression.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Here's a story of a mild-mannered everyday individual who has a secret hidden so deep that not even Superman with his X-ray vision could find it. He, just like Clark Kent has an alter ego too, but not one of a brave and noble hero or even a maniacal and twisted villain, but rather one of a happy and mentally healthy person. The secret he keeps is one so powerful that it can hold the strongest of men down and it can make the most confident crumble to their knees. It hides in plain sight and keeps its hostage bound and gagged so not to be found out. This evil is none other than depression, and like Hannibal Lecter it will eat you live if not treated properly and taken seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When it comes to mental health, there is a lot of confusion and a lot of fear surrounding the topic, so let’s try to rid our society of some of that and have an open discussion about it. These are some of the things that you should know to better take care of your loved ones and yourself in the long run. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Part 1: “Hide and Seek”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Depression is not something people proudly wear on their sleeve as a badge of honor that they display for all to see, if anything it’s kept hidden far back in the depths of their mind, securely locked away with the hopes of it never to seeing the light of day. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Depression hides out in like a ghost in a haunted house, from the outside everything looks copacetic, but once you cross the threshold, you can tell that something isn’t right.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">People with depression want help, but they don’t know how to ask and/or are scared to do so because of what they foresee will be the result of said action. They are able to open their mouth as if to scream, but this intruder won’t allow them to put any volume behind it thus leaving their cries unheard.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Most will not come right out and tell you they are suffering, but they may drop subtle hints hoping their loved ones will follow them like the steps on a treasure map. However, in this case the riches aren’t monetary but more so peace of mind and good mental health.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Part 2: “They’re Crazy!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Why is it difficult to talk openly about depression? People think there's something wrong with you, you're mentally unstable. Depression isn't real; you're&nbsp;having a bad day or wallowing in self-pity. These are just some of the issues we face as a society when it comes to bringing this problem to the forefront.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There is a stigma attached to anyone who endures its dreaded sting. We have made people who suffer from any form of a mental health condition feel like outcasts and monsters in this country, so needlessly to say there won’t be any grand announcement of the enemy’s presence. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Speaking up about our emotions is a sign of weakness, for women they are being dramatic and over-the-top, men are considered&nbsp;"less than" and fragile. We are taught at a young age it is not the cool thing to do, where those who complain are negative and a killjoy. Even kid’s shows like Sesame Street showed you that the people who do so are outcasts, they are “grouchy”, and belong in a trashcan. That is why most people choose to keep quiet instead of talking about it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Don’t be alarmed and act like the people did in the movie Philadelphia when they found out that Tom Hanks had AIDS! This is not contagious and not something that should land the victim in a straitjacket, sitting in a room with padded walls.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Part 3: “Side Effects”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">What are the side effects of depression? How does it feel&nbsp;having this unwelcomed houseguest renting space in your head?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The word depression is misleading to say the least, it doesn’t accurately express the severity of the situation and it makes people think the victim is just going through a rough patch in his/her life right at the moment. We should change it to something like mental warfare, to show people how serious it is and how dangerous of a battle it is. We all know there are varying degrees of depression, and not everyone who claims to have it does, but we must not discount the information we have and/or try to play doctor because the result could be a dire one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Having depression is like being trapped in a glass bottle sealed with a vault door. You can see the world go by as you are fighting to free yourself from your prison, suffocating and constantly freaking out because most likely you cannot escape on your own. You could reach out and ask for help to break the bottle or you can continue to try to release yourself alone, which could end with your demise.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You feel unneeded, unnecessary and undesired. You feel helpless, out of place and uncomfortable in your own skin. You feel like nobody wants you around, and if you left one day, you would receive a postcard with the words "wish you weren't here" written on it. A spider's victim trapped in a cocoon struggling to break free before it eats you and consumes your soul. This is heartbreaking and unbelievable to say the least, but nevertheless this is a day in the life of someone who is struggling with severe depression. Basically they are the walking wounded and the living dead!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You feel like a rotting/decaying corpse wrapped in a tattered shroud like in a horror film, who is reaching out to people for help and mercy but they are too afraid and/or disgusted to reach back because of what they perceive us to be. That unfortunately is a side effect of our thought process as a whole. We imagine ourselves to be hideous, to be the targets of all the laughs and whispers, we see ourselves as a blemish, like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When dealing with anxiety, relaxing is something that is difficult to do, regardless of what Frankie says. Sure we all face some form of anxiety or another during the course of our day, but not to the point where it is crippling who we are and hindering us from thinking rationally. Until you’ve been to the mountaintop, it’s impossible to explain the view.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Our mind can be our greatest ally, but it can also be our own worst enemy too…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Your mind is like a boat lost at sea, you don't know which way is safe and sometimes the seas are calm but other times the weather is rough and the waves dangerous. This all happens at a moment’s notice and with no warning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Sometimes your brain feels as if it is being juiced, like an orange that is squeezed of all its nutrients, left with only an empty rind and void of any meat or value. You steadily wish for things to be better, but unfortunately life isn't a genie and wishing is best left to shooting stars and to coins that are dropped in wells. You can listen to all the finely crafted metaphors, all the songs that are meant to motivate, all the cats hanging on lines that are meant to inspire, but if your mind isn't where it needs to be and all that is nothing more than a pep talk that is blowing smoke and empty promises of grandeur.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Think of it like this. There’s a hostile double agent lurking in your brain who is sabotaging things from the inside out. He is someone who could be stopped with the right set of tools, but if let alone and allowed to proceed as planned he could end up toppling the administration in a very counterproductive way and possibly even with a deadly outcome. This is a demon that needs to be properly exorcised and not allowed to rent space in your head for any longer than necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Depression is the monster of your faith. It is the creature who hides under your bed. It is a raging fire that burns everything in its path unless somehow extinguished. The bottom line is that it’s not a game and should not be treated as such.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Part 4: “Life or Death”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Sometimes “getting over it” isn’t an option. Sadly there are many who believe it’s just that easy to overcome this hurdle. The victim merely stumbled along the way and just needs to stand up and dust off. This is something that is hard-wired in their brains and a simple restart is going to fix the problem. They may need professional help or even medication to recover, so don’t take it lightly and toss it aside or instead of having a face-to-face conversation with your loved one you could be sitting across from a tombstone asking why. Life is precious; don’t let it fizzle out like a campfire in the wake of the morning sun because you thought you knew better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">This is definitely a battle worth undertaking, because failure could land them in the hands of an undertaker and none of us want that. The struggle is real; don't let your ignorance land you at a funeral. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">“<a href="http://www.theinsaneasylumblog.com/2014/03/suicide.html" target="_blank">Suicide</a>”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Part 5: “Emergency Exit”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Battling depression is a team sport, but unfortunately some of the players, those who aren’t confined to the penalty box of course, are going to have to do most of the work if they hope to win the game for their loved ones. Now with that said, those who are playing landlord to this creature cannot sit idly by on the sidelines, twiddling their thumbs and hoping that everything works out for the best. We have to do our part too, no matter how difficult it is. The goal is to get out as quickly as possible and not to let things continue as they are with the hopes everything will work out for the best. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Part 6: “Close, yet Far”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Sometimes the door to good health is one that is covered in grease, no matter how hard you try to turn the handle it just won’t open. Sometimes your support system isn't all that supportive. Sometimes those closest to us are the hardest ones to confide in, so we must find a new set of ears willing to listen to our problems and a new shoulder to lean on when walking is difficult. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">It’s not necessarily that these people don't love and/or care for us, but for some reason or another they just don't understand what we are going through, they can't comprehend it, which for their sake is actually a blessing. The culprit could also be fear. They don’t want to say the wrong thing so they walk around pretending to be oblivious to what’s going on. They know that this rollercoaster is one with many twists and turns, so rather than taking a seat and risk getting sick, they avoid the ride all together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">As if things weren’t already hard enough, there are going to be times where we have to step even further outside our comfort zones when seeking help. We must seek the company of a stranger if our resources at home are faulty. The ride is going to be a rough one, the terrain is going to be horrendous at times, but the trip is going to be totally worth it if you are able to come out on the end better off than when you went in.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Part 7: “The End Credits”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">We need to forego the whole stereotypical idea of what a woman/man should be and be true to ourselves and our feelings; it would make this world a much better place for everyone involved? Forget about what society thinks and focus on saving your life, both while you’re living and while you’re on the edge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Someone with depression is not looking for sympathy, they are looking for understanding. Be there for each other, and not just with meaningless pleasantries in passing or with a “thumbs up” on Facebook, but in person, for real, and with genuine concern for each other and their well-being.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">We need to keep an open mind and an open ear when it comes to those we hold dear. Don't think of love as a chore, but as a blessing and a privilege.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-37776092323931768742017-06-14T17:18:00.003-04:002017-08-31T15:13:06.789-04:00“An Angel without Wings”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HyxHo_RzrKo/WUGpylxah9I/AAAAAAAAEHo/NsycGkmD82Ie_cD1OcrzDTmXBztWJ1Z9QCLcBGAs/s1600/weeping-angel-hdr2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HyxHo_RzrKo/WUGpylxah9I/AAAAAAAAEHo/NsycGkmD82Ie_cD1OcrzDTmXBztWJ1Z9QCLcBGAs/s640/weeping-angel-hdr2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Where to start? There’s so much to say about my mother, but who would listen, or better yet, why would they listen? To some she was just a stranger, someone they blindly crossed paths with during their journey on this planet of ours, but to others who were lucky enough to know her, she was a pure blessing, a bright light in this otherwise dark world of ours. Was she perfect? Of course she wasn’t, just like none of us are. However, in my eyes she was pretty damn close. I am extremely proud to call myself her son.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">She grew up in a simpler time, one where Elvis wasn’t able to shake his hips on television and where most people preached peace and love over hate and condemnation. The world around her may have been black and white and as carefree as an episode of I Love Lucy, but her personal life was anything but. Throughout her life she experienced abuse on many different levels, physically and emotionally, some of which would make toughest of us wince in pain and would fill the most joyous of hearts with tremendous sorrow. She kept much torment and regret locked away in her soul. She did her best to overcome it and make her life, and ours something better than what she was used to.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">One would think that considering the circumstances she would be jaded, that her glass would forever be half empty. That wasn’t the case. She loved and showed compassion towards everyone, unfortunately sometimes even to a fault where she was taken advantage of and undeservingly hurt. She would try to find the good in everyone; she would constantly be digging through the weeds of one’s heart trying to find the single rose that she believed existed. She was the epitome of what I meant to be a human being; she did our species as a whole very proud. She wasn’t a kind and giving person because it was the hip thing to do; that’s who she was to her very core.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">She also had an amazing sense of humor. She would laugh her ass off when someone fell, and yes, even before checking if they were alright. There was just something about people losing their footing and falling to the ground like a ton of bricks that struck her funny bone and left her laughing hysterically like a hyena on laughing gas. When you tripped and/or fell around her your best bet was to swallow your pride and laugh along with her, because no amount of bruising, body or ego, was going to keep her from enjoying your balance mishap. She didn’t do it to be hurtful, she just couldn’t control herself.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">My mother was one of the most sarcastic and quick-witted people I have ever known, no matter what hand life may have dealt her she was always ready to up the ante with humor. If you weren’t laughing and having a good time when you were in her presence it was most likely because you were the one who busted their ass or dared to take her on in a battle of wits. Thankfully her wonderful sense of humor was passed on to us because it really helped us through this difficult time; many tears were overshadowed by laughter. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">She had plenty of reasons to be hateful and spiteful, yet she still maintained hope and love. She was afraid of the dark but had a personality that would light up a room. My mother didn't just want to know you, she wanted to embrace you, and she wanted you to feel as if you mattered. She loved sharing stories about her past; it meant the world to her when others took an interest in who she was, in what made her tick.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">She never had a problem comforting your tears, if anything she welcomed it, and never judged you because of them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vb6ZDIxEa1E/WUGmPMCq5_I/AAAAAAAAEHY/6th6uUcCIOIqbXE8teaOoGcc5JDkKiaCQCLcBGAs/s1600/171371653-56a98cbf5f9b58b7d0fca204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vb6ZDIxEa1E/WUGmPMCq5_I/AAAAAAAAEHY/6th6uUcCIOIqbXE8teaOoGcc5JDkKiaCQCLcBGAs/s640/171371653-56a98cbf5f9b58b7d0fca204.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">2017 was not a pleasant year for her. Shortly after it began she was diagnosed small cell lung cancer, which of course is aggressive and unfortunately for most a death sentence, which come to think of it pretty much confirms her theory that if it wasn’t for bad luck she wouldn’t have any luck at all. As she put it, she suffered from a bad case of the <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Maloik" target="_blank">maloikies</a>. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The last few months of her life was spent running back and forth to various doctors, extended hospital stays and fighting just to live her life as normal as possible when she did get the chance to be at home. Needless to say it wasn’t a “happy” new year for her at all. The chemo, which did give her a little more time with us, was destroying her body and making things very unpleasant for her. She couldn’t eat because of sores in her mouth, standing up was a chore in itself for her and with each passing day she was looking less and less like herself. Needless to say it wasn’t easy, but she stayed with it and never lost her smile. I remember when she would leave the chemo room she would pass by others who were in the same situation as herself, but instead of complaining about how bad she had it, she wished them all good luck and cheered them on.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Right before she was intubated for the last time, of course with the hopes of helping her breathe better, we were all in the hospital room with her for moral support and encouragement. We all got a brief moment with her to say a quick something then we had to leave the room to let the doctors do what they needed to do. My turn just happened to be last, and as I leaned in to let her know that I loved her and that everything would be alright, she grabbed my shirt and pulled me close and said, “Don’t let them do anything to me”. I knew what she meant, she wanted to make sure that everything that could possibly be done to keep her alive was done, she didn’t want the “plug pulled” if you will. My mother believed in fighting up until the bitter end, if it was up to her <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Schiavo_case" target="_blank">Terri Schiavo</a> would still be here. She always said, “Where’s there’s life there’s hope”. Unfortunately those were the last words she ever spoke to me, and I hope and pray that she was happy with how I handled things from that point on.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Living a nightmare! Sitting in her hospital room waiting for her to leave us, listening carefully to her breaths, anticipating the final one and at the same time praying it never comes. Having to wear gloves and a mask like we were robbing a bank, while the whole time I wanted nothing more than to grab her and hug her one last time. That day, and every day afterwards, if my tears were rain I would have filled an ocean with as much as I’ve cried.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Regrettably the disease finally ended her life on the 4</span><sup style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">of June, and not because she gave up. She fought valiantly to the end with everything she had in her, but rather because when all was said and done it was just too much on her, both physically and mentally. June 7th was the day that my mother was laid to rest. The end of a chapter. Her soul was already flying high with the angels, and now her physical remains and her memory were honored. One of the greatest people I have ever known. Her light was extinguished before its time, leaving our world a little colder from this day forward. May she rest well in heaven and rejoice in the fact of just how loved she was.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3vaD1_Ezvg/WUGn9eR4fOI/AAAAAAAAEHg/2NUpSvDmKpwNeX1-0tsidnh1D4zQck7xQCLcBGAs/s1600/b711-alive-and-sad-sadness-and-depression.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="790" height="279" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3vaD1_Ezvg/WUGn9eR4fOI/AAAAAAAAEHg/2NUpSvDmKpwNeX1-0tsidnh1D4zQck7xQCLcBGAs/s640/b711-alive-and-sad-sadness-and-depression.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">As many of us know cancer is a horrible and devastating adversary, one without compassion and/or concern for whom it attacks/hurts, and if it doesn’t end your life itself, the treatment and/or complications from it will. Now of course it doesn’t always win, but it definitely does make its presence known and will make sure you respect it.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Cancer has a knack for attacking the good, the kind and the gentle, taking its time devouring their souls and leaving them battling beyond belief trying to conquer it. You get angry because you know there are individuals more deserving of this dreaded disease, of the pain and the suffering. You wonder how is it possible that they can keep going on living without seemingly a care in the world, when others are ravished and abused by this disease. That is at least how I felt during this horrific experience. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You cannot give into its evil, because then not only did it steal your loved one from you but it also beat you and changed you for the worse. As I said prior, I felt this way, the anger grew inside of me like a cancer (for lack of a better word), but I realized that my mother wouldn’t want me proceeding down that path, my thoughts wouldn’t make her proud, so I have been trying my best to change that. I would be lying to you if I told you it was easy, it’s not by any stretch of the imagination, but for my own well-being&nbsp;it is necessary so it must be done.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Our final journey with her was rough one, with a heartbreaking end, but I can honestly say that I am forever thankful that I was able to be her side during this whole ordeal. She is now buried under dirt for all eternity; her earthly remains like a seed that I pray by our actions bring fourth many beautiful flowers in her honor. We cannot let her passing be in vain, we must show the world what having her in our lives truly meant. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You were an amazing individual. A true testament of what it means to be a human being. You never saw the bad in people, only the good, even when you were hurt, taken advantage of or looked down upon as a result. You never swayed or faltered from who you were or let hate consume you, you’re a true inspiration. You still continued to move forward and spread love across this planet of ours. You made this normally dark and dreary world more beautiful, more precious and more of a reason to be part of it. Her presence made it feel like a summer’s day, but now without her it’s like a never-ending winter’s night. I know a lot of people are in pain because you’re gone, but at least you are not anymore. You can rest easy knowing that your time here was not fruitless and that you truly were loved in every sense of the word.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When you lose your mother you lose all the stories you two shared, all the heartache you two embraced and all the trials you two have overcome. You’re losing the love, the comforts and the good times that now seem so far removed. You're losing more than just a person; you're losing a part of you, a part of your soul, a part of your being. She can never be replaced. She can never be thanked enough for all she did. Her passing left lots of regrets, lots of “what ifs” and of things left unsaid. Sleep eludes you as if you were playing a game of tag with it. You feel as lost as the kid on the back of the milk carton.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The horror of the loss binds you like heavy chains, grips you tightly and unmercifully constricts when you try to escape, it is torture on another level.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The day I lost my childhood is when my mother lost her life.</span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Unfortunately I have many regrets when it comes to the passing of my mother, lots of things that I would have done differently if only I would have known that our time was limited and coming to an abrupt end. Although, one thing I do not regret is that I was able to take care of her as she did me many times during my lifetime, and that I was able to protect her when times were tough and she thought she had no one else in her corner. As much as her death weighs heavy on my heart, her life was truly a blessing that I will forever be thankful that I had the good fortune to be a part of.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Losing her was one of the hardest things I have ever had to endure; it tore me in two knowing that what once was is now nothing more than a memory, and regrettably none new, just recollections of ones past. Sadly there will be many wonderful experiences that will be left unfulfilled by her absence. &nbsp;I know that someday the pain will subside, slowly fade into the distance like an image in the rearview mirror as you drive away, but she will never leave my heart or be forgotten.&nbsp;</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">My mother taught me that life, unlike her now still heart, never skips a beat, it continues on full steam ahead without any concern for casualties and mourners. Life is cruel and unfair, but we must do everything in our power to conquer it, to make it work for us instead of against us. She taught me how to survive and flourish and not just exist and concede. She taught me that every problem has a solution, might not always be the most convenient or the most enjoyable, but nevertheless it does. Her passing will haunt me for the rest of my days, but I will not let who she was and what she stood for go unrecognized. People will see her in me; they will appreciate who I am because of who she was. My goal is to honor her memory and to make her proud. </span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Mom you can now sit back and rest while we, your children, take the reins and proudly steer your memory to greatness by our actions. The skies have cried every day since your departure, as if to show us that the heavens share our pain. I feel lost without her, but I am forever blessed for knowing her. Kathleen Sarah Canaley may you rest in peace. You will be forever loved and missed. The angel without wings that once walked the earth with the rest of us is now flying high with her own set of brand new wings.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her story ended abruptly and in a manner completely undeserving of someone of her caliber, but I personally couldn’t have asked for a better supporting actor in this crazy show we call life. When the curtain came down for the final time on her performance there were many on their feet giving her a standing ovation, an ending fit for a summer Hollywood blockbuster and a woman who made the lives of anyone privileged enough to know her that much more special. Thank you mom!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I want to apologize for all the times I've said “she” (and her) in this piece, especially since my mother, Kathleen, would be driven completely nuts by it, because as she always said, “She has a name”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyoZwQKTOAM/WUGmZH4QaZI/AAAAAAAAEHc/dGLRWAXEo5A95IzuswsIOw76Er_DxXFSwCLcBGAs/s1600/18813206_10213429687716566_5503425084368864022_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="767" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyoZwQKTOAM/WUGmZH4QaZI/AAAAAAAAEHc/dGLRWAXEo5A95IzuswsIOw76Er_DxXFSwCLcBGAs/s400/18813206_10213429687716566_5503425084368864022_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>This piece is dedicated to the memory of my incredible mother, without you this journey is going to be hard, but because of you it’s going to be possible. To all my siblings and their significant others, without you these past few months, and many years ahead, would be difficult, unforgiving and soul shattering to say the least.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM &nbsp; &nbsp;</span><br /><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-64696809912830953542016-10-30T20:41:00.002-04:002016-10-30T20:51:59.208-04:00“Walls, Emails and Smear Campaigns: Red and Blue Party Poopers”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EoM2__UbxOI/WBaVlXfot3I/AAAAAAAADuE/NPU0Ai8tOTUc4HBD7f3O54lNJatDNYWhACLcB/s1600/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-donkeyhotey-500x281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EoM2__UbxOI/WBaVlXfot3I/AAAAAAAADuE/NPU0Ai8tOTUc4HBD7f3O54lNJatDNYWhACLcB/s640/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-donkeyhotey-500x281.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I’m about to step onto my soapbox to discuss some things I personally can’t stand, some things I feel should be changed for the betterment of all involved and some things that just drive me plain old nuts for one reason or another as far as politics are concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">After hearing what I have to say you may be cheering me on as if I was Rocky in the big fight of my life or you may be looking to beat the crap out of me as if I was a piñata in the home of one of those illegal Mexican rapists that you hear Trump talk about all the time, but either way try to listen to what I have to say with an open mind, with all biases aside and any absurd undying political party allegiance tucked neatly away in the back of your mental sock drawer like a baggie of marijuana. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Forget cats and dogs, this is the truth of politics…<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">1. There is no such thing as a “<i>government for the people</i>”! Democrat or Republican it doesn’t matter; and to think otherwise is completely foolish and just like a porn star who was banged in the behind from some dude named Long Dong Silver, that kind of thinking will only leave you hurting in the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The only thing that matters to them is money and power; they will do anything to get it, even if that means making life hell for the rest of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VTm1kFJGEMI/WBaSyOZMuyI/AAAAAAAADtw/PkuFEijgb9ov8q1xkL8HWyakvipKealPACLcB/s1600/gang-banging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VTm1kFJGEMI/WBaSyOZMuyI/AAAAAAAADtw/PkuFEijgb9ov8q1xkL8HWyakvipKealPACLcB/s400/gang-banging.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">2. Democrats and Republicans are Washington's version of the Bloods and Crips, only in shirts and ties.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Think about it! Both groups use colors to represent their respective hoods and group affiliation (<i>red and blue</i>), both groups scare people into joining them and their cause and both groups (<i>character</i>) assassinate all those who oppose them. See the connection? Democrats and Republicans are only out for themselves and no one else, if you're not with them then you're against them. Don’t believe me? Then try it out and see how well things play out for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Who do you think controls the illegal drug trade, the arms distribution and just about any other crime in their respective areas? I’ll give you a hint; it’s not the people that the cops are watching, they are only the pawns in this game of chess we’re playing in this country.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There's a political turf war going on and we're caught in the crossfire. Open your eyes, smarten up and get ready to duck and cover mutha fuggers! Forget Juggalos, the FBI needs to classify politicians as a gang! O.G. baby…original government.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">3. Remember reading comic books when you were younger? When the villain would trick the people into believing that he/she was on their side, that they only wanted the best for them, then when the time was right he/she would reveal their evil plan to take over the world and leave everyone feeling stupid for trusting him/her? Well that politics in a nutshell.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">They put on an Oscar worthy performance just long enough to get them in the door of their desired office, then once inside the mask comes off and their true identity is revealed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">They keep us fighting amongst ourselves and at odds with each other because the more chaotic our lives are and the more we feel as if it's us against the world and the less likely it is that we will come together as a cohesive unit and rise up against the corruption and/or the government.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You want change; well looking to a politician for it isn’t going to help because the only change they will give you is what’s left in your piggy bank after you pay all those taxes (<i>aka protection racket</i>) they so pleasantly force us to pay.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">4. When it comes to abortion, a bunch of men sitting around discussing and/or attempting to regulate ‪it is freaking ridiculous! They should stick to things they are familiar with, like prostate exams and having sword fights with their buddies at the urinal for example.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Stop trying to tell women how to live their lives, or in some cases due to medical concerns not live their lives, all to avoid her not having an abortion. Do you realize how crazy that is? Unless you were there for the conception then keep your self-righteous opinions and judgment to yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yScUa0f0KCk/WBaS8EJstpI/AAAAAAAADt0/uBpD1EAE33oItvAzZmirgCQvlmlbeicYACLcB/s1600/Jesus%2BFace%2BPalm%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yScUa0f0KCk/WBaS8EJstpI/AAAAAAAADt0/uBpD1EAE33oItvAzZmirgCQvlmlbeicYACLcB/s400/Jesus%2BFace%2BPalm%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">5. The separation of church and state. Keep your religion out of the office! I can only imagine the grimace on God’s face when His name is brought into all this madness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I consider myself a Christian but God isn’t running for President, thus His feelings on the issues, as if any of these fools actually have the authority to speak for Him, don’t matter and only stand to make the candidates look like a bunch of bible thumpers who are planning on running the country in accordance to what their God believes and not what’s best for the people. We all know how dangerous that can be and if you don’t think so (<i>like you’ve been living under a rock or something</i>) then check out what happens to other countries around the world when religious zealots call the shots and run the show. Not such a pretty picture to say the least.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">For anyone fuming over that statement and currently condemning me to hell as a result, I can guarantee you that if the religion was on the other foot, meaning that we were talking about a Muslim here, you would all be cheering me on and telling me to preach it. Such hypocrites! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">6. Rock the vote and all that other crazy crap they tell us to make us believe that our vote truly matters (<i>hanging chads anyone</i>). Voting comes down to the lesser of two evils; basically the individual who you think would do less harm to our country than the other.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When it comes to this election one doesn’t need the Hubble Telescope to clearly see the “<i>elephant</i>” in the room, which is that Mr. Donald “<i>Grab them by the pussy</i>” Trump is not the Republicans first choice to “don” their organized-crime family, but unfortunately he is now their only choice so it’s either sink or swim with him. Regardless of his party affiliation the guy is a “<i>jackass</i>”, plain and simple, always have been and always will be. With that said stop acting all offended and appalled by him and his antics because we all knew what we were getting from jump, nothing all that surprising here. Now if all this came to light from someone like Mother Teresa then I would be shocked, but with him not so much. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I sometimes wonder if this whole Donald Trump thing is one of those hidden camera shows (<i>Alright Ashton Kutcher where are you hiding?</i>), as if he’s intentionally trying to get Hillary nominated and/or to make a mockery of the Republican Party. Maybe he’s a double agent who’s working for the Democrats? Nowadays you never know.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Before all you Republicans start seeing “<i>red</i>”, thinking I’m attacking your precious party and/or dogging your boy, the same goes for Hillary. She lies, cheats and steals! Well what politician doesn’t? Again, this is not a real shocker and not something that would keep me tuned in next week to see the conclusion of. Both of them should be strapped in a straitjacket and thrown into a padded room not running the country. They should stick to eating their checkers and let someone more qualified and less mentally grotesque, handle the office of the President of the USA.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Donald Trump's new slogan should be, "If it ain't white, it ain't alright" and Hilary Clinton’s entrance music should be “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”…just saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You don't need to be Monica Lewinsky to see what's "cumming", which is reality television at its finest and a regular Cirque Du Stupidity. This election is such a spectacle and full of more drama than a daytime soap opera that it’s not even funny. This whole debacle is making a joke of us and our country in the eyes of the rest of the world, which is not smart and/or safe by any means.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The bottom line is this. We’re all well aware of the candidates (<i>not including the few vote-thrower-outers on the ballot</i>) this election, so get rid of all the nonsense&nbsp; and cast your so-called precious vote for the monster who you feel will scare you the least. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I know it’s asking a lot but please try to make an informed decision as to who you vote for and not just foolishly follow behind the elephant or donkey because that will only leave you with a steaming pile of hot animal dung on your face. Honestly people who vote for a particular political party exclusively, rather than the better candidate scare the poop out of me; it’s like Ray Charles playing Follow the Leader with a sacrificial virgin who has a date with a volcano god.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">7. I think all politicians should have to go over and fight with the brave men and women of our armed forces every time they choose to deploy them, that way they will think twice about fighting over the wrong thing. There will be no vacations and no playing golf while our soldiers are fighting for our country, they can spend their term on the battlefield if necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You also wouldn't have to worry about their safety while they were over there with our troops either, because they would have one of the best fighting forces in the world protecting them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uCk4wuFCUcA/WBaTEoIuWTI/AAAAAAAADt4/B_d_Ptq3YL0YPAKVcL3SiurHHLyc9FHdgCLcB/s1600/hulk%2Bhogan45.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uCk4wuFCUcA/WBaTEoIuWTI/AAAAAAAADt4/B_d_Ptq3YL0YPAKVcL3SiurHHLyc9FHdgCLcB/s400/hulk%2Bhogan45.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">8. Republican (</span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would say Democratic too but there doesn’t seem to be any of those</i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">) radio/television talk show hosts remind me a lot of wrestling managers. I’m not talking about the wrestlers in singlets here, but rather the “</span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What’cha gonna do brother when Hulkamania runs wild on you?</i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">” kind or wrestler. Their candidates can do no wrong and they talk them up as if they were the best thing since masturbation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">They talk more trash than a little bit about their candidate’s opponent, pretty much calling them everything but the kitchen sink. Every time I hear one I immediately picture Jimmy “<i>The Mouth of the South</i>” Hart and his bullhorn getting all up in someone’s face and starting shit. Let’s get ready to RUMBLE!<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">These people I actually find more humorous than anything else because I don’t know if they really believe the crap they are spewing through their lips or if they understand it’s all garbage and are just willing to do/say anything and everything to fight for their parties reputation and street cred, I truthfully think it’s the latter.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">9. Politicians never apologize for anything, especially during their campaign trail, it's always so-and-so did it too as if that somehow justifies their misdeed and wrongdoings. Didn't we have enough of that crap as kids? Didn’t our parents tell us not to worry about what they did, and ask us if they jumped off a bridge would we jump too? So then why is it acceptable for politicians?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">In the famous words of the great poet Porky Pig, “Th…th…th…that’s all folks”!<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">This election is like a bitter custody battle between two dysfunctional and abusive parents, no matter who wins we’re all screwed and destined to have our country grow up to be a deadbeat, a thief and just an overall piece of shit. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Now relax all you crazies with your undying political party allegiance, and know that I personally think that all, which means both Democrats and Republicans, are pieces of garbage and only out for the party they choose to align themselves with and no good whatsoever. Some might say that’s a little harsh, well I say it’s right on the money and totally justified. Maybe one day that will all change, a politician(s) will rise from the ashes like a phoenix and prove to me, and the rest of the world that they’re not all alike, but until that day comes I’m sticking to my guns and remaining and cynical as ever when it comes to these individuals. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When talking politics with some people I wonder if "thinking" is their second language. The mentality and actions of some of these mindless zombies leaves me scratching my head in utter confusion and worried about the future we are leaving for our children.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I’m Michael Mele, and I approve this message!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM</span>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-68625869039773021902016-06-09T02:15:00.002-04:002016-06-23T20:46:05.049-04:00“Buzz Kill: Looking at Life through a Pair of Beer Goggles”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4SgRjdnnODk/V1kMQ_JNwdI/AAAAAAAADoY/4qWwa0O8YnUxAANXKLipPZTiBm1ZPo6aACLcB/s1600/beer-goggles%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4SgRjdnnODk/V1kMQ_JNwdI/AAAAAAAADoY/4qWwa0O8YnUxAANXKLipPZTiBm1ZPo6aACLcB/s640/beer-goggles%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">We are going to be discussing addicts, alcoholics in particular, and not in an adorable Disney style fairytale kind of way either, but more of a “Dateline: To Catch an Alcoholic” kind of way. Needless to say it’s going to get a little messy in here and some feelings are bound to be hurt.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">With that said, if you don’t currently have a problem with the magic elixir that can take cares away like Tylenol does headaches, then feel free to crack one open and sit back and enjoy. However, if you suffer from what I like to call “Beauty and the Beast” syndrome (<i>a beauty of a person when your tank is on empty, but once full you become a beast, all thanks to the newly found liquid courage the great and powerful Oz. [ounces of alcohol that is] has granted you</i>) or regardless of whether you’re sober or drunk you’re a dick, then maybe you should drink a cup of coffee and chill, because a sober dick is a lot easier to tolerate than a drunk dick any day.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Many American families are infested with them as if they were roaches, but unfortunately they don’t disappear when the lights come on or go “crunch” under your feet. The Hughes Brothers’ movie, “Menace to Society” could have very well been written about them. Am I being unfair to the alcoholic, ask anyone who has had to endure their crazy antics and dysfunctional behavior how they feel about the whole situation and you’ll have your answer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You have those who do nothing more than cry in their beer, stay to themselves and keep the Budweiser’s Clydesdales galloping all the way to the bank, and for the most part harmless and not confrontational. Although they have a twin, an annoying doppelganger if you will, and those are the individuals who deserve a swift kick in the ass and who this piece is dedicated to.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">They don’t care who they hurt in the process, and the only twelve steps they are willing to follow are only the ones that lead to more alcohol.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">For the record, I don’t believe that all alcoholics are monsters, things that go bump in the night if you will, but unfortunately there are many who belong in a padded cell. They don’t care about anything or anyone, all they’re concern with is where their next drink is coming from and how soon can they get it, that’s the grim reality of it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><b>“It’s a disease! They have no control over it!”…</b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">We classify many different conditions and addictions as diseases in this country, which I can only assume is to make people feel better about overindulging, physically, mentally and of course financially. This rule however seems to only apply to vices that are legal and that are making sizeable donations (<i>aka taxes</i>) to the pockets of good old Uncle Sam. One of the reasons marijuana isn’t legal is because people can easily grow it themselves, thus cutting out the middleman and avoid paying taxes on it, and we all know that our government doesn’t like it when they (<i>undeservingly</i>) don’t get their fair share of the pie.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Regardless how many “doctors” say it is. Doctors are not gods, they are fallible and not without personal bias, if they weren’t there would be no need for a second opinion. When it comes to doctors the good guys don’t always wear white, the stereotypical drug dealer has been replaced by a man in a white coat armed with a pen and a prescription pad and the crack house, replaced by the pharmacy. Prescription pill epidemic anyone? Medicine is a business and doctors are businessmen, you’d be wise to remember that.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I know that not all doctors are irresponsibly writing prescriptions and/or consciously contributing to the demise of our civilization, however, there are a good percentage of them who are and I tell you this to hopefully open your eyes to what’s really going on in this world of ours. The X-Files said it best, “The truth is out there”!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">If alcoholism is indeed a disease, shouldn't the alcoholic who is pulled over for drinking and driving be taken away in an ambulance instead of a cop car, brought to a hospital instead of a jail? Society's double standard?</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">It is a conscious decision made from a sound mind, not a birth defect or a little beer bottle sitting on their shoulder talking them into getting down with the drink. We all have the propensity to be addicted to something, we like something we want more of it, that’s how it is. So I guess we’re all diseased, right? Now off course these addictions vary from person to person, some can partake in their personal pleasures every now and then without letting them overtake their lives, while others just can’t let go of the dragon and do everything in their power to continuously peruse it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The whole “disease” mentality is a way for alcoholics (<i>and sympathizers</i>) to justify their unhealthy behavior and as a means to help family/friends keep the facade intact of a loving and caring family member/friend, because it’s more comfortable to believe that it’s not their loved ones performing these destructive acts but rather the disease making them do it. We are lead to believe from a very young age that anyone born under our family crest loves us unconditionally and only have our best interests at heart, but “family” is only a word and not a contract. Because someone shares our bloodline doesn’t mean that they share our commitment and feelings towards one and another. That may sound dark and bleak, but it’s reality whether we want to accept it or not.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Classifying it as such is a slap in the face to those who are truly battling legitimate diseases, in the same way that an individual who never served this great country of ours, but claimed to, only for the praise and accolades such a position would warrant, would.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Forget alcoholism, the real dreaded disease that is sweeping the nation is gulliblism, it's where the poor unfortunate victims believe everything that they are told without question!"</span></i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CjXDhd7oqBM/V1kNAKjb7YI/AAAAAAAADok/_K2N1Bx4vvgtg-ZKTc4t35QBS-u13VcFACLcB/s1600/Apple-not-equal-to-orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CjXDhd7oqBM/V1kNAKjb7YI/AAAAAAAADok/_K2N1Bx4vvgtg-ZKTc4t35QBS-u13VcFACLcB/s640/Apple-not-equal-to-orange.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><b>“Alcoholics and other drug addicts aren’t one in the same. You’re comparing Apples to oranges here!”…</b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You’re an alcoholic you’re sick, overcome by a dreadful disease that controls you as if you were Achmed and it Jeff Dunham. Alternatively though, if your preferred poison happens to be that of an illegal street drug you’re considered a no-good addict, plain and simple. There are no heroinaholics!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Some people will lead you to believe that an addiction is an addiction, and that one is not treated any differently than another, but I can guarantee that if you ask someone who hits the crack pipe instead of sips from a can for a good time how they are treated and viewed by the masses you will get the real story.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When you’re an alcoholic you go to AA, but at the same time if you’re an addict of any other drug the only letters you see are DEA. An alcoholic gets off with a slap on the wrist and a brief stint in rehab, the addict gets thrown in the joint and is traded like a baseball card for packs of cigarettes. You’ll never see the property values drop because there’s a bar close by, but a crack house on the other hand, you might as well be living in the projects.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I’m not trying to proudly waive the banner of illegal street drugs as an overzealous fanatic who is cheering for their favorite sports team as they go in for the win, would, nor am I saying that I think they should be legalized, I just don’t see why we treat alcoholics differently than any other addict in this country. Are alcoholics as bad as other drug addicts, absolutely!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><b>“You don’t understand, they’ve had a rough life. They’re tortured souls”…</b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There are many out there who use alcohol as a means of coping, a way to escape from some terrible wrong and/or personal hardship that life has bestowed upon them, and to them I say welcome to the human race! You would be hard pressed to find one individual out there who didn’t experience their fair share of heartache and sorrow throughout their lifetime, but not everyone runs to their local liquor store/bar when the going gets tough and tries to drown their pain. You will never find solace in an empty bottle, just a temporary fix, and if anything your predicament will only get worse.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I hear the word, “selfish” thrown around a lot when discussing the suicidal, but the truth of the matter is that the word is more fitting when talking about alcoholics. When someone feels lonely and abandoned, which is the case with many suicidal people, who exactly are they being selfish to; at least that’s how they see it. Now a drunk on the other hand they knowingly, with a sound mind, decide to partake in a drug that not only harms themselves but also those around them. Whatever the reason, they feel their needs out weight the needs of the many, including those of their so-called loved ones.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There are healthier and less destructive ways to overcome the travesties we have faced. I’m not trying to sound heartless or uncompassionate to their plights, but we’ve all have been there, and most of us have survived to see another day without the aid of alcohol.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TtRgZVjkFHw/V1kOFRObxvI/AAAAAAAADow/03UeUjTTkWgcDnerLgBMvba3pQ1JjhBcACLcB/s1600/Witch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TtRgZVjkFHw/V1kOFRObxvI/AAAAAAAADow/03UeUjTTkWgcDnerLgBMvba3pQ1JjhBcACLcB/s640/Witch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: red;">“What? You mean we should be responsible for our own actions and stop blaming them on something else? That’s sacrilegious and totally not how we do things here. Get out of here you witch!”…</span></i>&nbsp;</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">To paraphrase the great poet Shaggy (<i>Mr. Boombastic if you’re nasty</i>), “It wasn’t them”…or at least that’s what they want you to believe. We need an exorcism, they are all possessed by an evil alcoholic spirit…a spirit they bought from the liquor store nonetheless.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">We treat alcoholics as if they are the victims, but they are far from it. They are not the victim, we are. We need to stop having pity on the abuser. We wouldn’t have sympathy for the man who beat his wife, so why do we for the people who destroy the lives of many around them and all those in their destructive paths? &nbsp;This fact amazes and leaves me scratching my head in utter confusion. They are the aggressors, the ones behind a good portion of the unnecessary madness that covers this country like a tent around the home with termites, yet we are told that we should have pity on them and turn the other cheek to their wrong-doings.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">We are too soft, we coddle those who don’t deserve it and if there’s money to be made, more than willing to look the other way and act like we didn’t see anything at all.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I can guarantee that there are some who are reading this that think I’m crazy, that having a drink or two isn’t a bad thing, and to them I say you are correct. The problem isn’t the alcohol but rather the alcoholic. I’m sure this next statement is going to get me into hot water, but it’s the same thing when it comes to guns, it’s not the gun that’s the problem it’s the person behind the trigger that is.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><b>“Hello! May I HELP you?”…</b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I’m all for someone getting help, but what I don’t understand is why they want to be anonymous while they are getting it? While they are out getting their drunk on and running amok they are as loud and obnoxious as can be. One would think they would be happy to let the world know they are getting help, that's a good thing, and get their drunk on in private, because that's embarrassing.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You want to do something about being out of shape you go to a “public” gym and workout, or go to a “public” park and go for a run or even to a “public” restaurant and order a salad while everyone else is pigging out on pizza. You’re proud to show people that you’re concerned about your health and wellbeing. You want to stop drinking you go a private meeting, which is closed off to the public and totally secret, like you’re in the mob. I’m not trying to knock anyone for getting help with a drinking problem; I just don’t understand why some people feel shameful about it, but if it works for them then that is all that matters.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I can’t stand those pretend quitters though, the ones who only say it because it’s the right thing to say and/or because they are looking for that, “awww poor alcoholic” pseudo-love crap. Telling someone that you want to go to rehab/detox when you have a load on, is the same thing as telling someone you’re worried about your heart as you’re scarfing down a Big Mac, large fries and a diet soda…because you’re watching your weight. Stop the madness, if you don’t want help and plan on drinking until the day you die, man up and hit the bricks, never to return. Do something worthwhile for those who are unfortunately (<i>dis</i>)graced by your presence, it’s the least you could do. You already, “screwed the hooch (<i>pooch</i>)” with your life, don’t make the same mistake with someone else’s.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I'm not saying that alcoholism isn't difficult to overcome, but it's possible and for those who have, they should be commended and admired for their strength and the courage it took to conquer their demons, very admirable.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The recovering alcoholic is fine; it’s the repeat offenders we don’t like.</span><br /><span style="color: red; font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="color: red; font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><b>“How do you know what it’s like? You’re not an alcoholic!”…</b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">What makes me an expert on the topic, how long do you have? I’m just kidding; I’ll give you the condensed version, which is a privilege I was never awarded when I was forced to sit through all those inane ramblings by some intoxicated booze hound when I was a child.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I have almost forty years of experience dealing with the walking drunks, both as close family and family friends who seem to come free with the purchase of every case of beer, and unlike my fathers (<i>yes that is correct, plural</i>), they never left. I drink, and yes I have my favorites, but I do so in moderation and continue to maintain a functional life…even with the alcoholic gene in my DNA.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I’ve heard all the excuses, blaming everyone and everything (<i>except for themselves of course</i>) on why it is that they drink like a fish. I’ve witnessed the unapologetic thievery, the ridiculous brawls and the complete lack of respect for all involved. When the well ran dry these people drank just about anything that contained alcohol, mouthwash, cold medicine and even aftershave, trust me I’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve had occasions, regardless of the setting, ruined by their unremorseful antics. These people made my life very unsettling, if it was a stomach it would have been upset and they would have been the crippling pains that kept me on the toilet heave-hoing and praying to God that it would all end soon. Let’s just say that living with them has been anything but a happy hour.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I could go on and on, but you get the picture. I’ve been there, done that and not ever wanting to go back.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VrzhNBonQQA/V1kOgQToNpI/AAAAAAAADo4/5l39FC3uXOI7PrtraS793PYJLmw_MMPDQCLcB/s1600/LastCall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VrzhNBonQQA/V1kOgQToNpI/AAAAAAAADo4/5l39FC3uXOI7PrtraS793PYJLmw_MMPDQCLcB/s640/LastCall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><b>“Last call!’…</b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The whole mindset around alcoholism is completely ridiculous and utterly absurd. People really need to step back, remove their feelings from the situation, and reassess the whole thing. It’s hard to see clearly when your eyes are full of tears.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">We all know that partaking in alcohol can result in a good time, and at the risk of sounding cliché and/or like one of those afterschool specials, do it responsibly and plan accordingly if you know it’s going to be flowing freely like a fire hydrant on a hot day on a city street. When it becomes a problem, you become a problem, and that’s not cool.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Final thought; the alcoholic is the person, not some uncontrollable disease that some poor unfortunate individual comes down with and/or is born with, and when dealing with an alcoholic loved one, your love for them is all in vain if it’s not tough.</span><br /><b><br /></b><span style="color: red; font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><b>“I love you man!”…</b></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM</span><br /><div><br /></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-87132909720493848982016-03-14T01:33:00.004-04:002016-03-14T01:38:52.322-04:00"Yo! MJMTV Raps: DIRTY BLACK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fjIYhvxyOoc/VuZLh1Fl8eI/AAAAAAAADiI/qb9-5M7V8PM0lTWRghqk7BqE7uXy9xhug/s1600/20151215_133935_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fjIYhvxyOoc/VuZLh1Fl8eI/AAAAAAAADiI/qb9-5M7V8PM0lTWRghqk7BqE7uXy9xhug/s640/20151215_133935_001.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>“Holy shit on a shingle, Batman”! Guess what, party people? I have a very special guest up in my crib today. The up-and-coming rapper from the Bronx, which is in NY (better recognize), has stopped by The Insane Asylum to share a little bit about himself with you. Sit back, pop open a cold one (pour some out for a dead homie if necessary), and get to know the one and only DIRTY BLACK.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>Let the party begin… &nbsp;</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>1. The streets, your lady or your bitch?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: I left the street life alone. I'm an ex-drug dealer. I would pick my lady because she would be there to hold me down, or at least I would like to think that. As far as a bitch well she would be just that, there for me to fuck when I’m ready to.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>2. What would it take for you to collaborate with Vanilla Ice?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: A music video for the song guaranteed, and of course 5-10 thousand dollars (Ice,Ice Baby)!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>3. Your music, from experience or from Hollywood?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: My music is definitely inspired by my real life experiences; there are no fabrications in my material. I don't look at Hollywood movies or the Hollywood lifestyle to motivate my song writing.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>4. Do you sing in the shower or rap?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: I think of new song ideas when I'm in the shower, new hooks, new bars, etc. Singing is out of the question; instead of waking up the dead I would probably kill the living. I won't be performing at karaoke night any time soon.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>5. Where do you draw inspiration from for your music?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: My life, other people's lives, the news, the media. I draw inspiration from other people's music in general. I love all kinds of music.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>6. If you could have beef with any rapper out there, who would it be?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: I would have to say Kendrick Lamar. I mean he did take a cheap shot at my city, New York, in the past. I had a diss record killing him but some of the people on my team asked me not to put it out. They were telling me from a business stand point that California is a huge market and that I need the fine people of California to support DIRTY BLACK. I didn't want them to hate me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>7. What do you think of the current state of rap music?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: It's watered down. The rap industry needs an artist like me, a real lyrist that's not coming with that bubble gum gimmick bullshit.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>8. Women, bitches and hoes or ladies and lovelies?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: Women are very important to the world, they play a major part. Bitches and hoes are just no good. Gold diggers are always looking for a come up, groupies too, things of that nature. Ladies and lovelies are decent women who respect themselves; they don't act like bitches and hoes, so I respect them too.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>9. East Coast, West Coast or somewhere in between?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: I'm from the east coast, New York. I love the west coast, it’s beautiful out there. I do plan on moving but I'm not sure where, so right now it's up in the air as far as where I'm going to be living.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>10. Who do you look up to musically?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I9nwIYwC7WU/VuZM_GNYfII/AAAAAAAADiU/AxfyXi07UyAM25tfjfnpmYLneTL_z1UcQ/s1600/20160107_162913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I9nwIYwC7WU/VuZM_GNYfII/AAAAAAAADiU/AxfyXi07UyAM25tfjfnpmYLneTL_z1UcQ/s640/20160107_162913.jpg" width="360" /></a><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: KRS-ONE, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, 2PAC, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Kool G Rap, NAS, Mobb Deep, Kurtis Blow, Wu Tang Clan, Redman, Michael Jackson, Prince, James Brown and the list goes on and on. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">11. 2 Pac, dead or alive?</b><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: To everybody out there who thinks that 2PAC is alive. Please let that man R.I.P. I saw the autopsy tape with my own eyes a month after he died, the actual tape and not something that everyone saw on a documentary. A friend of mine that used to work for XXL magazine got a hold of the tape, and I watched it at his house. 2PAC's mother, Afeni Shakur said that she "cremated" him, so 2Pac is dead, unfortunately.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>12. Are you down with OPP?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: When I was younger I would have said YES, but I'm a little older now and my main focus is handling my business so NO! I'm not down with O.P.P. I'm no longer indulging in casual sex.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>13. The "N word", out of place in rap music or absolutely fitting?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: A lot of people do get offended by the "N" word, but for me and millions of people from the slums all over the world, we grew up using the word in our everyday vocabulary. It's hard to ask someone to stop using a word that they have been using for most of their life. That's why you hear it in a lot of rap music, because those artists come from those ghettos that I'm talking about. As rap artists we are kind of like ghetto news reporters, and using the "N" word is a part of the dialect that we use.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>14. Do you rap for the love of the game or with the hopes of breaking the bank?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: I would have to say a little bit of both. My music means everything to me, and yes I want to have major commercial success, what artist doesn't. I'm here to make a difference and change lives but I can't do those things without success.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>15. When did you first discover your passion for rap?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: I fell in love with rap and hip hop when my brother and his friend used to play RUN DMC, Doug E. Fresh, KRS ONE, and even before that when my pops used to play Kool &amp; the Gang. I used to be a little kid hanging with my cousin and some of his friends in different studios. They are the ones that made me feel that I could rap. I used to just write verses, but then I started writing songs. It was hard for me because I was so used to only writing verses, so I had to make the transition.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>16. Yo' Mama! How's your relationship with her, 2 Pac or Eminem (pre-rehab)?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: My relationship with my mother is great, even though we don't see eye to eye all the time. When I was on the streets selling drugs she didn't approve, and she let me know it. She always believed in me. She didn't smoke cigarettes or use drugs. She wasn't in jail or anything like that. She was just a hard worker that believed in having something. She was always there for me and I loved that.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>17. How would you classify your music?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: My music is outstanding, it speaks for itself. My new mixtape (“THE GAME CHANGER”, coming real soon!), that will be coming out soon, sounds like an album. Sometimes I make songs from my life experiences and sometimes I make songs that people want to hear. My songs are art that everybody from every walk of life can or should be able to relate to.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>18. What's your part in the overall music making process?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: I write my own songs, I don't use songwriters or ghostwriters. I don't get down like that. If you heard me spit it you can bet your life I wrote it. I'm very picky when it comes to my beats. When I'm with a producer listening to beats sometimes I hear something that I like right away, but most of the time it's a long process. I don't make beats myself, I just write my songs.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>19. Racism in America, your thoughts?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: It's crazy that it’s 2016 and we are still dealing with racism and hate, instead of everybody trying to make this world a better place collectively. Why not try to make money with me or do something positive together instead of having hate towards me because of the color of my skin? Everything is subject to change, people need to keep that in mind.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>20. Please tell us there's no Stanky Leg, Crank That or any of that other random nonsense in your future?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: No! I'm not into making gimmicky songs. Lyrically I hold myself to a higher standard. You will hear some club bangers and some party songs, but you won't hear about DIRTY BLACK making a new dance because that's not what I do. Whoever’s out there doing that, to each their own, but I do what works for me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>21. How'd you come up with the name DIRTY BLACK?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">DIRTY BLACK: A lot of people don't know this but I didn't come up with the name "DIRTY BLACK ". My cousin and one of my friends started calling me that because my nickname was "BLACK" and I used to always carry a gun. When I would run into them they would want me to chill and hang out, but I used to tell them I can't because I was dirty, meaning I was carrying a gun. So after 2 or 3 months of not hanging with me they started calling me "DIRTY BLACK ". It had nothing to do with music; hell I wasn't even doing music at the time.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>That’s all she wrote…</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>Well there you have it, Mr. BLACK, or DIRTY BLACK if you’re nasty, letting you know exactly how it is. Make sure to show him some love and appreciation for his time here with us.&nbsp;</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>Please forgive my attempt at being street, because honestly the only thing I know about the streets comes from the one named Sesame! The only time I was ever riding dirty was when I was stuck in traffic and shit myself after a questionable lunch from the gas station.&nbsp;</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>MJM</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/REALDIRTYBLACK1" target="_blank">Twitter</a></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://youtube.com/channel/UCd7U11as6wZeVkyHIT52IHg" target="_blank">YouTube</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.twine.fm/dirtyblack" target="_blank">Twine</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>Email:&nbsp;</i></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">teamdirtyblack@gmail.com</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><div><br /></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-71236882205666029062016-02-16T00:26:00.002-05:002016-02-16T00:29:15.031-05:00“Stop, Drop and Hop or Come in and Stay a While?”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H4m89FXHnLU/VsKyiK7myYI/AAAAAAAADg4/Lj3wMWb7JME/s1600/FonzieGettingMarriedqq00_05_30qq00028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H4m89FXHnLU/VsKyiK7myYI/AAAAAAAADg4/Lj3wMWb7JME/s640/FonzieGettingMarriedqq00_05_30qq00028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There are two kinds of people when it comes to using the crapper, and I’m not talking about the public one here, because hopefully no one uses those cesspools unless absolutely necessary. I’m talking about your own personal porcelain potty.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You have the individuals who are in and out with a quickness like Superman in a phone booth at the first sign of trouble, then you have those who set up shop and make it a home away from home within a home. I myself am the latter, and damn proud of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Now some may scratch their heads in confusion and ask why one would purposely stay firmly planted on the pot while being surrounded by their own stank, unless of course they were having tummy troubles and/or a professional masturbator. Well my reason is simple; I prefer to deal with the shit that’s inside the door instead of the shit that’s on the other side of the door. By that I don’t mean that I have a poorly trained pet that leaves turd nuggets all over my house like landmines, but rather people who are so annoying they could make Jesus (and I don’t mean the gardener) ask for a do-over on that whole dying on the cross for our sins thingy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You want to be a super pooper like me? Well listen closely because I’m about to tell you how it’s done. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There are secrets to surviving the dreaded gas chamber. Certain things one could do to make the overall experience really not all that bad, believe it or not, actually rather pleasant. Some of these steps may take time to master, but trust me in the end it’ll be completely worth it and you’ll be a much happier person in the long run as a result of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Here’s the first step, and this may not be all that easy for those of you with pancake asses, but for the the rest of you who are fortunate enough to have junk in your trunk this’ll be no problem whatsoever. Plug the hole! Don’t get it twisted; the hole I’m talking about plugging here is not the one to your backdoor, but the one to the seat of the bowl you’re doing your business on. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">This may require some wobbling as if you were a Weeble and/or possibly even some tushy touching, so make sure to keep some Purell readily available just in case. Wedge those buns in there tightly, like you were stuffing a Thanksgiving turkey. That septic stream should see nothing more than the dark side of your moon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Why do this you may ask? The answer is simple; it’s to avoid any raunchiness from escaping the bowl. That way regardless of how long you plan on visiting, you can do so without aggravating your nostrils and/or taste buds if you happen to be one of those extremely ripe bitches where your aroma is so thick you could taste is. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">As a backup, hanging a car air freshener from the doorknob will definitely help in the case of a ventilation emergency. Sure it won’t mask the whole smell, but a mixture of pine trees or new car and crap is still better than just plain old crap, just saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vPa8_je363s/VsKy6unosYI/AAAAAAAADhA/3XEll1P00mg/s1600/funny-bathroom-interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vPa8_je363s/VsKy6unosYI/AAAAAAAADhA/3XEll1P00mg/s640/funny-bathroom-interior.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Step number two, which coincidentally involves taking a number two, funny how that worked out. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Don’t be too quick to flush your friend. The reason being of course is because most people associate the flush with the last step in the pooping process, and if you’re not out the door shortly after they come banging like they were the police. Let your new buddy hang around for a bit. Let him enjoy his freedom from the bowels before being washed away to his eternal resting place. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Nothing makes others feel the need to use the bathroom more then the sound of that door closing. I believe it’s a mental thing, that or a pain in the ass thing, and I’m not taking about hemorrhoids. They’re as fine as can be without a care in the world, completely void of any bladder and/or anus waste, at least until they notice the threshold to the toilet blocked off. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">That’s why saving the flush for the final act, and not a second before, is imperative and not to be passed over. Doing so will help you avoid any unnecessary headaches while you’re trying to relax. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The last step, which is just as important as the previous two and should not to be taken lightly, is to bring a lunch or at least a snack in with you. You’re going to be away from the outside world for quite some time, and you wouldn’t want to pass out from hunger and end up face down, ass up on the bathroom floor. Been there, done that, and it wasn’t a pretty picture.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I would also highly recommend carrying prepackage noms here, because you wouldn’t want poop particles on your food, ummm grodie to say the least. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Aside from edibles, bring in things to keep you occupied while you’re lavatory lounging. Here are some suggestions. Maybe take up needlepoint, start playing a portable gaming system and/or if you’re so inclined, bring in that car engine that you’ve been rebuilding. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There’s nothing like reading a good book on the toilet, and if you’re a writer, all you need is a pen because any adequately stocked bathroom is going to have plenty of paper. What about arts and crafts, if that’s your thing feel free to get down with some finger painting, just please wash your hands when you’re done.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">For the record, on cold days there is absolutely nothing wrong with brining a blanket or space heater in with you, if anything you’d be wise to let the heater run for a bit before doing your duty (huh huh) to avoid cold seat shock.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Let me put it this way, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something of mine that doesn’t have more fecal matter on it than Kanye West's teeth, but I don’t sweat it at all because there’s always soap.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Remember with great power comes great responsibility, so use these skills I taught you wisely and don’t abuse them. For example if you’re a beginner, or a young sprout with tiny little poops, then I would suggest playing it safe and not risking it. Be like SEAL Team Six, get in and out before anyone knows you’re there, making sure to bury your own stinky little brown turd (aka Bin Laden) at sea in the process, otherwise the operation would be considered an epic fail. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3v3LiSWVmBc/VsKyvPQ-EHI/AAAAAAAADg8/NvypXCoKE1s/s1600/Screen-179612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3v3LiSWVmBc/VsKyvPQ-EHI/AAAAAAAADg8/NvypXCoKE1s/s640/Screen-179612.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Here’s what I had to deal with, and ultimately why I say what I do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Growing up we had many visitors who felt compelled to use their toilet time to smoke a cigarette, drink a cup of coffee and drop a deuce, so you could only imagine the funk that they left behind. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">With that said, back then I was a hit it and quit it kind of fella when it came to using the facilities. I wasn’t about to let myself ferment in that toxic concoction of shit, smoke and coffee. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">As time progressed, circumstances changed and I was better able to manage the shitter to shitee relationships, which allowed me slow down and enjoy my time in the inside outhouse. Give it time, you’ll get there too.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There you have it, the “How to” survival guide to making the best of a shitty situation and getting the most out of your bathroom time. They don’t call it the “rest”room for nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM&nbsp;</span><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-79467565831088334302016-02-10T22:06:00.000-05:002016-02-16T00:29:27.713-05:00“When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Crying?”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjkUdAbaMbo/Vrv6UHdqreI/AAAAAAAADgo/T5I8ZqSpuco/s1600/Getty_S_122411_Cam-Newton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjkUdAbaMbo/Vrv6UHdqreI/AAAAAAAADgo/T5I8ZqSpuco/s640/Getty_S_122411_Cam-Newton.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I'm sick and tired of hearing all this crap from Cam Newton! He’s trying to justify his <a href="http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/news/cam-newton-defends-super-bowl-media-walkout-im-a-sore-loser/ar-BBpiZfm?ocid=ansmsnsports11" target="_blank">actions</a> in regards to how he handled things during the post-game press conference for Superbowl 50. We won’t even touch on how he was acting on the field during the big game, that’s for another time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Showed up to interview with a chip on his shoulder and acted very unprofessional. Wouldn’t answer questions and left shortly after arriving, without even so much as a whisper as to why. After watching him storm off like a toddler who just got told he couldn’t have any ice cream, it was pretty evident as to why he did what he did. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">He is an idiot, plain and simple. Obviously no one likes to lose, but trying to blame his behavior on the fact that he did just that is completely ridiculous and utterly insane. We are not talking about kids on the playground here; we are talking about pro athletes who do this for a living.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">He acts as if he is only representing himself, but clearly he is not. He represents the Carolina Panthers organization and the National Football League (NFL) and gets paid extremely well to do so. Giving interviews, whether after a loss or a win, is all part of the job, don't believe me just ask Marshawn Lynch of Seattle Seahawks fame.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Now if he, and many more I suspect, would rather not give interviews then they should take a sizable pay cut and not be eligible for the captain position of their respective teams. With any job you need to earn your money and title, it’s not just handed to you because you perform one aspect of your overall responsibilities at a higher level than most. This is the case with the majority of jobs out there, and football should be no different. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">He needs to grow up and act like a professional and a positive role model to all those kids who look up to him. It takes more than giving a kid the ball when you score a touchdown to make you something to write home about. I’m not trying to discount the gesture, but in all reality that’s just the tip of the iceberg.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Considering that Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall building in a single bound, I’m sure he can survive a loss. Trust me, the Panthers will have another shot at the big game in the years to come, there’s no doubt about that. Now with that said, it’s time to be a man and stop acting like an overgrown spoiled child.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">My feelings have nothing to do with the team he plays for and/or my undying allegiance to any other team, so fanboys please stand down. I believe for the money these players are paid, they should be more than happy to do what is asked of them, especially when it comes to the fans, which is absolutely who these interviews are for. I know it was the Superbowl, but there’s still no excuse for how things unfolded on his behalf.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Cam Newton…the man, the myth, the crybaby? Only time will tell.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Also, this is not a black and white thing; this is a wrong and right thing. People would still feel the same way they do towards Newton’s actions even if he happened to be white. So please stop with all that nonsense.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM</span></span></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-27075897233196663142015-09-06T01:22:00.001-04:002015-09-06T01:25:37.874-04:00“Jesus Christ Socialist”<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Hello all you party people out there in cyberspace, I have great news for you; today you get a break from me and all my inane ramblings. First off, thank you for visiting The Insane Asylum, now sit back, get comfortable and please welcome my very special guest Mr. Kevin Hightower to our ward. He’s not looking to just rock the boat here, he’s planning on capsizing that some beach! When he’s through, the Titanic will look like child’s play.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b><u>Kevin Hightower</u></b></i></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Writer/Journalist from Houston age 37<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.kevinhightower.com/">http://www.kevinhightower.com/</a><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PQ66q7EUN_0/VevLALzXJhI/AAAAAAAADVk/jTi5RRMUD2c/s1600/11990378_10207421812440453_1979299222233793058_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PQ66q7EUN_0/VevLALzXJhI/AAAAAAAADVk/jTi5RRMUD2c/s400/11990378_10207421812440453_1979299222233793058_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me start you off with what the "Religious Right Wing" in America would have you believe is an oxymoron. I am a Christian and I don't believe it is a sin to be gay or to hand out a gay marriage license. I know for a fact that for some people who identify as gay didn't choose to be gay. I know that God is love incarnate and that he doesn't punish his creation for being his creation. Cover your ears because this is going to ruffle some feathers. God created gay people.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And you can quote things from Leviticus and Deuteronomy to me all day but it's going to fall on deaf ears because I consider myself a "Red Letter Christian." It's not a denomination and we have no brick-and-mortar churches that I am aware of. It means that I have a Bible with all of Jesus' words highlighted in red. Before I ever read the Bible in its entirety I had to simplify things for myself and I decided the way to demystify what this religion was all about was to study the words and deeds of the man it is named for.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I focused in on nothing but the words of Jesus Christ I made a stunning realization. The Jesus on TV and in too many churches is not anything like the guy I read about in the Bible. The real oxymoron here is "Religious Right Wing." Why? Because Jesus was a liberal and a socialist.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think there's two different views of Christianity at play here. The one that gets all the media attention is more often than not contrary to the deeds and action of Jesus Himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I was eight-years-old my dad told me my mother was going to burn in hell because she was raised Catholic. He described in graphic detail the pain of being burned alive forever and ever. I was pretty perceptive for my age and by that point my dad gave me the creeps already. But he made me promise not to tell or I'd be in huge trouble so I held it inside for almost a year until I became a pale shadow of a once-happy child. I barely slept that year because the night brought dreams of my mother, the one I trusted and has always believed in me, and stood by me, screaming in flames.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BaQV-RyKOJs/VevLebglclI/AAAAAAAADVs/lsnzhHGrBjk/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BaQV-RyKOJs/VevLebglclI/AAAAAAAADVs/lsnzhHGrBjk/s400/hqdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No eight-year-old should ever have to bear that burden and if I had a time machine I'd take it straight back to that little boy and grab him, hug him and tell him it's not true. This was my dad's way of being Christian. Jesus said to love one another. There's no verse about scarring your child for life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What it did do was lead me astray later in life because I wanted no part of a God that would send the most patient and kind woman I've ever met to a pit of fire. Jesus did say woe to anyone who leads one of these little children away from me and that it would be better for my dad to have a millstone hung around his neck and thrown into the sea than to turn a child away from Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, the lack of sleep and nervousness became so noticeable that my mom, aunt and uncle literally wondered if I was being abused.&nbsp; And I was mentally being abused. I broke and finally told them. They reassured me no such thing would happen. My uncle had a private talk with my dad and I didn't hear all of it but I know it involved him not living to tell about ever trying something like that again. My uncle was ready to be Jesus' millstone.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So when I grew older I despised the religion. Then during a troubled time I set about reading the entire Bible cover to cover looking for answers and have done so twice. I learned that all that time I spent reading the Old Testament was summed up in a sentence or two by Jesus. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. This is the whole of the law and the prophets (The Old Testament). In other words if you just do those things, because of Jesus’ sacrifice you have fulfilled God’s law.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To my great surprise focusing in on just the words Jesus said revealed that He was nothing like the Jesus paraded around by "Fundamentalists" and "Conservatives." As a matter of fact I found that He was quite the Liberal in His day, with the Pharisees and Sadducees being the Conservative establishment. He had liberal ideas like giving to the poor and not concerning yourself with whether or not they waste the money (welfare, food stamps). He healed the sick freely without asking anything in return (universal healthcare). He was not a Capitalist at all; He believed in the redistribution of wealth and commanded His followers to give all their possessions to the poor and follow Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When asked if His people should pay taxes to Rome he told them to give Caesar what is due to Caesar and give God what is due to God. Yet today the Republicans and the Tea Party claim to be the Christian Party while insisting we shouldn’t be taxed, it’s ok for 1% of the population to have 99% of the money because they worked harder than you, healthcare shouldn’t be free and you have no right to it and welfare programs for the poor who really need it, especially children must be abolished because of the few who take advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t take my word for it. Go read the Republican platform, the Tea Party Platform and then the red words in the Bible and tell me I’m wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VDTxTnJC094/VevL9GTcX-I/AAAAAAAADV4/Ok7XSmQ6iwI/s1600/150903-kim-davis-mug-535p_2a10fb4a29fd25fb6bf13a4680f1087c.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VDTxTnJC094/VevL9GTcX-I/AAAAAAAADV4/Ok7XSmQ6iwI/s400/150903-kim-davis-mug-535p_2a10fb4a29fd25fb6bf13a4680f1087c.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And now this court clerk Kim Davis thinks that she will go to Hell for handing out a marriage license to gay people. Even if you insist on believing that homosexuality is a sin, as a Christian you should be well aware that if Heaven and Hell were based on our deeds we'd all be in trouble. To say that you can go to Hell for acting any certain way is to deny Jesus' sacrifice altogether.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If she found this morally objectionable she can say it was because of her religion, but she'd be wrong. If you go with the idea that it is sinful to be in a gay marriage then all you have to do to keep your morals in line is not be in a gay marriage yourself. The same freedom that afford people to believe and do what they feel is right morally, like people who want to be in a loving gay marriage, is the same freedom that allows her to practice her version of Christianity however misguided it might be.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And to those who think she can't be fired or punished, you absolutely can force someone within your employ to do something they find morally objectionable because they have the freedom to seek employment elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't begin to think that I have the capacity as a human to fathom the mind of God but there is one thing I am pretty sure about. He is no different than us in the respect that He wants people to love Him because they want to, not because they are forced to, which is why we have free will. So I would think God would find it objectionable for a country to force its citizens to worship Him because they wouldn't be doing it out of love, but at the threat of jail.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would you want someone to say they love you at gunpoint? Or would you prefer they love you because you are you? If God wanted to make mindless drones to say they loved Him he surely could have done so. God doesn't want a Christian nation, he wants religious freedom. He wants you to love Him because you want to, not because Kim Davis says you have to.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PFvhKImJLWM/VevNHx98kuI/AAAAAAAADWM/5PWkwW58wgM/s1600/WBC-2-1024x768.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PFvhKImJLWM/VevNHx98kuI/AAAAAAAADWM/5PWkwW58wgM/s400/WBC-2-1024x768.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What people who practice her modern brand of Christianity mistake in Jesus' words is when He says to let your light shine among men. She would have you believe this means wagging your tongue and telling other people what to do to not be sinful. The people I have met that truly let their light shine and touched my life are the ones who did so in their own actions. Love God and Love one another as yourself. Love your enemy. A real Christian never has to tell you they are one; you can tell by the way they treat you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That same crazy dad of mine is on his 10th marriage. I never felt comfortable around him for obvious reasons so visits were sparse as I became an adult. I began to notice that wife after wife were extremely rude and short with me and I never understood why. That is until wife number nine came along. She was under the impression that she was wife number three but that was actually my mother who divorced him 20 years earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She was extremely kind and warm. When they inevitably divorced I made contact to express my appreciation. She told me that my dad would tell her I was a criminal and a terrible person to explain why I rarely came around. Eight wives treated me poorly based on his lies. The ninth never treated me any way but kindly. She didn’t judge people based on another person’s words. She didn’t judge at all. She was truly letting her light shine among men.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ironically my dad once stood up in a church service in front of this wife and talked about how terrible it was that churches were starting to let women speak openly in services. I’d much rather have heard what she had to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I first started my freelance writing business from home I felt very alone and didn't know how it would work out. I read a lady's blog online who claimed to be making six figures and all I had to do to find out how (as if the $40,000 I spent on my BA in Journalism plus all the places I'd been published weren't enough) was give her $1,000 for her to coach me plus pay $40 a month to be a part of her message board with other writers. I wondered why if she was doing so well as a freelance writer, did she need my $1,000.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wasn't going to spend any more money on this writing thing. The talent is there and the hard work had been done. I just needed guidance from someone who'd gone the freelance route. I started to correspond with a guy from one of the companies I contract through and we became friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A_bVzxhvxFU/VevMVc8mTOI/AAAAAAAADWA/x_tsjc-0ENg/s1600/ht_children_taught_100602_mn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A_bVzxhvxFU/VevMVc8mTOI/AAAAAAAADWA/x_tsjc-0ENg/s400/ht_children_taught_100602_mn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He's sat up many late nights getting me out of jams before deadlines, teaching me the freelance ropes and introducing me to people who started sending me work. He never charged a penny. He never gets annoyed, and he even gives me advice in my personal life. He gives and he gives and when he's done with that he gives some more. So I never had to ask what his beliefs were. His light shines brightly among men. He's one of the best living examples I have ever seen of what Jesus said a Christian should act like. And he's gay. That's something to really think about if you count yourself among those who think you can't be gay and a Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If everyone let their own light of kindness shine instead of protesting other's actions like Westboro Baptist Church, Kim Davis, Chick-Fil A and so many others, the world would be an awesome place. They spit at what they deem as sinners and call them vile names. But the man they claim to worship ironically was criticized in his time for eating and spending the majority of his time with sinners, prostitutes and tax collectors. Why? Because the well have no need for a doctor, but sick people do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Westboro Baptist's Bible, apparently their Jesus ran around with signs at the funerals of prostitutes that said "The only good whore is a dead whore." In Sunday school their children sing "Jesus hates you this I know, for Westboro tells me so."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If Jesus were on Earth today instead of 2000 years ago, I truly believe that people like Kim Davis, Westboro Baptist, and the extreme right of the Republican Party would be the very ones nailing Him to a cross.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it would be all televised live on Fox News with Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity doing the commentary, followed shortly by another investigative report into the President's birth certificate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God Bless America.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kevin Hightower</span><br /><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-37114478960067614152015-08-28T03:44:00.001-04:002015-08-29T19:25:24.744-04:00“#AllLivesMatter”<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tADyynaciM/VeAS5pBwXDI/AAAAAAAADVM/dIey7G2Zwdk/s1600/mmw_black_white_article_032208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tADyynaciM/VeAS5pBwXDI/AAAAAAAADVM/dIey7G2Zwdk/s1600/mmw_black_white_article_032208.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For some this may be a bitter pill to swallow, and even not the most politically correct thing to say, but nevertheless it is true and needs to be addressed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If the only time you speak up against a racial injustice is when the victim has the same color skin as yourself, then you are not fighting for a cause, you are fighting for a color and that is just as wrong as the person who committed the injustice in the first place.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want to truly abolish racism you need to be all in, because otherwise you might as well not even bother.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You mustn’t walk around with blinders on, just because the crime isn’t splashed all over the news, committed by a person(s) in a position of authority and/or warrants the presence of a loudmouth rabble-rouser who is more interested in lining his/her own pocket than they are with fixing the issue at hand, doesn’t mean it’s not happening and to think otherwise would be utterly foolish and irresponsible. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know the police are a sore subject for many nowadays, and it is completely understandable all things considered, but whether you like it or not, the men/women in uniform who have sworn to protect us are not the only individuals causing these transgressions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are cases that don’t appear on the public’s radar, either because they won’t bring in the high ratings television and other news outlets crave or because they aren’t your “typical” acts of racism if you will. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are lead to believe that the only true form of racism is white on black, but obviously we know that belief is fallacious, because racism doesn’t discriminate against any one particular race or another. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won't pretend to know what it's like to be black in America, but also don't speculate that because I am white I have lived the so-called "perfect" life without a care in the world, because what you may find out could surprise you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have lived in many less than desirable areas growing up, experienced racism <i>(not reverse racism, because racism is racism)</i> firsthand many times, so don’t assume that I “don’t understand” as I hear many people say in regards to this matter. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What I endured was not an isolated case, I know that without a shadow of a doubt that I was not the only white person to ever experience these things, there are many similar situations out there regardless if you choose to acknowledge it or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does it not matter that it was black on white instead of the reverse? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If that's how you think then you're just as ignorant as those who choose to hate for no other reason than the color of one’s skin, you are part of the problem, not the solution.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am not trying to muddy the waters here, or take anything away from the plights we are currently facing as a country, I only want people to be aware of the bigger picture, to comprehend that there is more to the problem than what lies on the surface. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We need to stop separating ourselves by color and stand together against these atrocities as one, which is if we ever hope to stop the madness once and for all and to make our world a better place for all those involved. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are all brothers and sisters, regardless of the color of our skin, so stop thinking separation and start togetherness! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are only as strong as our weakest link, so we need to stop tearing each other down and start lifting them up, helping them survive this cruel world of ours.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is not a cry me a river piece, I am not oblivious to the fact that some races have to endure this unfortunate burden more than others, I just want it known that it isn’t all as one-sided and skewed as some would lead you to believe.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now some people may not believe it is possible to be racist against whites, they will say that whites can only experience prejudice and not racism due to their overall standings in society.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Basically saying that the white individuals who beat Rodney King were racist, but the black individuals who beat Reginald Denny were prejudice, which I personally think is completely ridiculous, but what do I know.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bottom line is this, regardless of what you call it, hate is still hate, and shouldn’t be tolerated by any race, period.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We can either continue to fight with each other , or for each other, we can continue to make excuses why things are the way they are, or we can do what needs to be done to fix it.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not all whites are racists, and not all minorities are victims. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-44310827143658277112015-08-07T02:30:00.002-04:002015-08-07T02:31:28.095-04:00“(Republican) Party Over Here”<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first GOP debate for the Republican Presidential race 2016 is in the record books, and if you ask me, all it did was further strengthen the stereotype that most Republicans are nothing more than white Christian males who want to do what’s best for their God, and not their country.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPe7dgKO_ek/VcRPNyEpUzI/AAAAAAAADN8/S9l4iUZsaBQ/s1600/Republican%2BElephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPe7dgKO_ek/VcRPNyEpUzI/AAAAAAAADN8/S9l4iUZsaBQ/s320/Republican%2BElephant.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now of course this time we did have a wild card thrown into the mix, the one and only Donald Trump, as if you didn’t already know.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who made this feel more like a big time wrestling event rather than a GOP debate, a very mild verbal smackdown if you will, but I’m sure as long as it brought in viewers the party didn’t mind at all.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Things started off pretty basic, questions about immigration, spending and all the other traditional topics, but then it got crazy, as if a tiny car pulled up and a bunch of clowns got out.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The issue of abortion came up, and if you ask me, a bunch of men sitting around discussing ‪abortion&nbsp;is freaking ridiculous, they should stick to discussing things they are familiar with, like prostate exams and having sword fights with their buddies at the urinal.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stop trying to tell women how to live their lives, or in this case possibly not live their lives, all to avoid her not having an abortion, do you realize how crazy that is!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then out of nowhere it became church, all the candidates started talking about their God, how He saved them and what He means to them and their campaigns.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I could only imagine the grimace on His face when His name was brought into all this madness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I consider myself a Christian, but God isn’t running for President, thus His feelings on the issues, as if any of these fools really speak for Him, don’t matter and only stand to make the candidates look like a bunch of bible thumpers who are planning on running the country in accordance to what their God believes and not what’s best for the people.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ol-Ra6suf68/VcRQH_WoHmI/AAAAAAAADOQ/9upPimqa6uQ/s1600/jesus_facepalm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ol-Ra6suf68/VcRQH_WoHmI/AAAAAAAADOQ/9upPimqa6uQ/s400/jesus_facepalm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We all know how dangerous that can be, and I guess these boys don’t believe in separation of church and state, not hating on anyone, just stating the obvious.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The “elephant” (pardon the pun) in the room, at least in my observation, is that the Republicans are trying way too hard to be hip and cool.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They are trying to pull a Bill Clinton, but unfortunately it is as awkward as a father going through a midlife crisis who is trying to hang with his teenage son’s friends at the club.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The two things I took away from this debate were that first, the Republicans seem deathly afraid of Hillary Clinton, Mrs. President if you’re a Republican, because all they did was talk a whole lot of crap about her as to prove they aren’t intimidated by her.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It kind of felt like a bunch of boys on the schoolyard poking fun at this one girl, but not because she had cooties or anything like that, but more so because they wanted to be her, or maybe even be with her. **wink, wink**</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7sgzYriJ-qc/VcRPmidiMmI/AAAAAAAADOE/aX0Myl6_dQo/s1600/ngbbs4a6f2cf72f5c6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7sgzYriJ-qc/VcRPmidiMmI/AAAAAAAADOE/aX0Myl6_dQo/s400/ngbbs4a6f2cf72f5c6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Secondly, I may not be a big fan of his, but from start to finish Donald Trump seemed like he was being truthfully with his answers and statements (I know an honest politician what an oxymoron), but at least to me that’s the way it seemed.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who knows, maybe he’s a better politician than I realize and he’s just pulling the wool over my eyes, but only time, and his actions, will tell that for sure.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, before all you Republicans start seeing “red” (pardon the pun **again**), thinking I’m attacking your precious party.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Relax and know that I personally think that all, which means both Democrats and Republicans, are crooks and only out for the party they choose to align themselves with.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To me, voting day comes down to the lesser of two evils; the individual who I think would do less harm to our country out of those candidates who are running.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Considering that this is just the first debate, and knowing politics the way I do, I’m sure things are just going to get crazier and a whole lot more entertaining, so I have no doubt I’ll be speaking on this topic much more in the days to come.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now back to your regularly schedule program.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM&nbsp;</span><br /><div><br /></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-29674870999143721112015-07-22T02:15:00.000-04:002015-07-22T17:44:15.438-04:00“Our World”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3JEgigxVYI/Va8x1m7S1rI/AAAAAAAADFU/QfGzYLQRdlo/s1600/1234826_415340808587240_1910039931_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3JEgigxVYI/Va8x1m7S1rI/AAAAAAAADFU/QfGzYLQRdlo/s400/1234826_415340808587240_1910039931_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't want to be a grown-up; I want to be a kid again, and not because I want to play with my favorite toy(s) and/or relive fond past memories of when I was child, but rather because this world of ours seems so very bleak and miserable, and only getting worse with every passing day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we were younger the scariest thing we had to worry about was the monster under our bed or in the closet, and no matter what our imagination conjured up, it was nothing as fierce as the real-life monsters who we share this planet with today.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe things were just as bad back then, as they say ignorance is bliss, but without a doubt the warm embrace of a parent and/or loved one would chase away any evil that dared to show its face, or at least that’s what we believed and that thought alone kept us comforted and complacent.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now however, there is no shelter that simple, unfortunately it is almost impossible to shield yourself from every beast that rears its ugly head, from every danger that shows up on the radar and every attack that shows up on our front door step.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are terrorist attacks, computer hacks and everywhere you look there is some form of hate running rampant, and that’s only some of the horrors that play out on the stage where we perform the show called life, hoping that one day the curtain will close putting an end to all the nightmares.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We still play make-believe, but no longer are we playing house and/or fighting crime as our favorite superhero. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We now act as if we see the glass as half full and/or replace negative thoughts with positive ones, that all the chaos around us will somehow disappear leaving us as happy as a kid on the last day of school, but deep down we all know that’s not accurate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We create religions and cliques (political, social status, etc), anything to help us make this journey somewhat easier, a little more tolerable and not as frightening as if we were to go about it on our own, a false sense of security if you will.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5bxXsGunYMc/Va8zQkvf1ZI/AAAAAAAADFg/ziYApuFDS3g/s1600/religious-symbols.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5bxXsGunYMc/Va8zQkvf1ZI/AAAAAAAADFg/ziYApuFDS3g/s640/religious-symbols.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We keep ourselves constantly medicated, whether it is by drugs, alcohol or just about anything else that will keep our minds satisfied long enough to allow us to escape, even if only for a brief moment, the brutality that is the world we know.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our world is a take no prisoners kind of world, it doesn’t care how you feel, what you believe and/or how you think things should be done, it will use you up and toss you aside and never think twice about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m not saying that trying to manage this world of ours is hopeless and/or not worth it, not by any means, I only want you to be aware of your surroundings and not proceed with the mindset that everything is well and that we are safe.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some would say that I am being pessimistic or even cynical, but the brunt of it is that I’m looking at life without the blinders on, without the rose-colored glasses that are passed around like 3D glasses at the theater as soon as we are old enough to truly understand what is happening around us, and I’m finally seeing it for how it is.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The shroud of misdirection has been removed from my eyes; I am now able to see things for what they truly are, false promises, phony philosophies and sugar coated dreams that are really just nightmares in disguise.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am aware that there are some righteous and upstanding people amongst us, but for the most part they are overshadowed by the bad in this world, because either they don’t speak loud enough to have their voices heard or because their actions aren’t as boisterous as those of their dark counterparts, either way it would seem that evil is winning the war for our souls.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s a battlefield out there my friends, not a walk in the park by any means, so do what you need to do to survive the best way you know how to, and I wish you the best of luck on your voyage.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the record, I am not against having hope and/or finding a crutch (if you will) to help you make it through this cruel world of ours, actually I believe it's absolutely necessary, that is if you don't wish to become one of the evils yourself.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just know that knowledge is power, and knowing exactly what you're facing will only help us to beat it, to make it to the mountain top, if that makes sense?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w7hBAQLyA0s/Va8z2OsythI/AAAAAAAADFo/GZ_AQcwqRzk/s1600/Thinking-Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w7hBAQLyA0s/Va8z2OsythI/AAAAAAAADFo/GZ_AQcwqRzk/s400/Thinking-Man.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Am I having a bad day, or are the scales of justice really tipped in favor of love, hope and positivity, or is this really the harsh reality that we all hide from and pretend doesn’t exist? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess the answer to that question all depends on the prospective and mindset of the individual who is being asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span><br /><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-75041261519204078232015-05-31T22:47:00.002-04:002015-06-01T01:17:57.537-04:00“TLC: The Lunatic Channel”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7s1n0W9nFWo/VWvF6j0269I/AAAAAAAAC_g/seOcaC0tg1U/s1600/tlc-logo-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7s1n0W9nFWo/VWvF6j0269I/AAAAAAAAC_g/seOcaC0tg1U/s640/tlc-logo-2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TLC, The Learning Channel? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m not really sure what one is supposed to be “learning” while watching the nonsense that this network broadcasts, other than the fact that the more outside of the realm of a normal health family you are, the better your chances that you will earn a nice fat contract by letting them display you and all your madness to the masses like some sort of circus sideshow. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoV8lt2djuo/VWvGCwkmTgI/AAAAAAAAC_o/D_NoOmgBKPo/s1600/honey-boo-boo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoV8lt2djuo/VWvGCwkmTgI/AAAAAAAAC_o/D_NoOmgBKPo/s1600/honey-boo-boo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First there was </span><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/honey-boo-boos-anna-cardwell-talks-child-molester-mama-june-20143110" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Honey Boo Boo</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, the poor child who was paraded around like a show dog and made to spit humorous remarks like this precious gem, “I’m Honey Boo Boo Child” on command like a trained (drunk) seal.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her loving mother felt it was in her child’s best interest to keep her hopped up on caffeine and as plump as a Thanksgiving Day turkey for the good of the show, while she spends her time dating a known child molester.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m not Miss Cleo or anything, but I can clearly see that there’s not going to be any “World’s Greatest Mom” awards on her mantle anytime soon, and any that do happen to show up will be as undeserved as Milli Vanilli’s Grammy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7VAA8INoG-E/VWvGLnXEGTI/AAAAAAAAC_w/XXLIyxv_MZY/s1600/19102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7VAA8INoG-E/VWvGLnXEGTI/AAAAAAAAC_w/XXLIyxv_MZY/s640/19102.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now we have the </span><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/josh-duggar-responds-to-past-child-molestation-allegations-2015215" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Duggars</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, who look at birth control the same way they view a cancellation notice from the network, the more kids the better the ratings, so once the baby odometer stops moving so do those paychecks and they’re having no part of that.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Their devout Independent Baptists beliefs teach them to avoid kissing and sexual contact until marriage, that is unless they are your sisters, then have at them like they were a nice juicy steak and you a famished wild animal. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you’re fortunate enough to be born a male in this family you’re golden, but if you are one of the unlucky few to be born with two X chromosomes, or as the Duggars call it “two strikes against you”, one more and you’re out, so there will be no pressing charges against your brothers and/or standing up for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NeI15AzOMLg/VWvGyMxITEI/AAAAAAAAC_4/xvnB-Zz1guY/s1600/African-American-woman-thinking-800x430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NeI15AzOMLg/VWvGyMxITEI/AAAAAAAAC_4/xvnB-Zz1guY/s640/African-American-woman-thinking-800x430.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Honey Boo Boo atrocity has thankfully already been canceled due to her darling mother’s antics, but for some crazy reason 19 Kids &amp; Counting has not, why hasn’t TLC pulled the plug on this train wreck as soon as they learned of the wrong doings?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What has to happen before these networks are proactive rather than reactive, is it going to take an all-out massacre, where one of their so-called “stars” goes all Chris Benoit before they do what needs to be done?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The FCC lost their shit when Janet Jackson showed her nipple at the Superbowl halftime show, but why don’t they do something about reality television, like require background checks and implement an age restriction similar to that of alcohol and tobacco for all cast members?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The unfortunate bottom line is this, just like with everything else in our world; it’s all about the almighty dollar and nothing else, including the health and welfare of all those involved.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7mYP8EmE1z8/VWvHjiysF6I/AAAAAAAADAI/EPLOKett_9Q/s1600/quote-do-something-wonderful-people-may-imitate-it-albert-schweitzer-165558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7mYP8EmE1z8/VWvHjiysF6I/AAAAAAAADAI/EPLOKett_9Q/s640/quote-do-something-wonderful-people-may-imitate-it-albert-schweitzer-165558.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Needless to say that most of the programs aired on this network, along with many others for sure, are complete nonsense, totally ridiculous and are doing more to harm our society than they are to help it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t normally get upset about the garbage I find on TV, mainly because it’s typically grown people doing stupid things for a quick buck, but in the case of TLC it is innocent children who are being exploited and put in harm’s way all for the sake of ratings.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I urge you to contact TLC’s parent company (link below) and speak your mind, stand up for those who can’t do it themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://corporate.discovery.com/contact/viewer-relations/">http://corporate.discovery.com/contact/viewer-relations/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well there you have it, my thoughts on the matter, and if you agree with me great, but if you don’t then may I recommend that you find yourself a real friendly psychiatrist with access to a prescription pad to snuggle up with.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM<o:p></o:p></span></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-15173291688425907762015-04-22T04:30:00.000-04:002015-06-29T21:10:49.340-04:00“Give You Head”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLYv5lLYy8E/VTdVxTuKXDI/AAAAAAAAC2s/ljjdUXj_wDw/s1600/man-balding-scratching-head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLYv5lLYy8E/VTdVxTuKXDI/AAAAAAAAC2s/ljjdUXj_wDw/s1600/man-balding-scratching-head.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No this isn’t one of those porno pieces, sorry to burst your bubble, so zip up your pants and put away the lotion.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re getting head here that is for sure, but unfortunately it’s not the kind of head you were hoping for, it’s the kind that includes a brain…you know that thinking thingy that a few of us use. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a collection of random thoughts that were lurking in my noggin like a stalker in the bushes outside of your window. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There’s no rhyme or reason to any of it, just various bits of information that may, or may not, be useful to you. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of these things make my head insides hurt and peeve me beyond belief, make me question exactly what is going on here, and since it’s the internet and I, like many others of course, have a blog I figured I would share my thoughts with all you fine people here in cyberspace…so enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay here goes…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Number I:</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If an athlete breaks the law, regardless of what sport they play and/or how talented they are, they should be punished just like any average Joe would be, no exceptions. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These people are paid to do what they love, it’s not like they are doing it out of the kindness of their hearts for the benefit of the fans, and so they shouldn’t be allotted any special privileges as a result of it and/or be considered above the law because of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I’m working at McDonalds, and I decide to haul off and slam Birdie in the face with my fist all over some cold fries, I can pretty much guarantee that I would be escorted out in handcuffs and vacating the head fry cook position immediately, especially if the whole thing was caught on candid camera.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nDvgtp0pUsA/VTdXQCgw9bI/AAAAAAAAC20/_pZ6g8QA1_8/s1600/ray-rice-muscles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nDvgtp0pUsA/VTdXQCgw9bI/AAAAAAAAC20/_pZ6g8QA1_8/s1600/ray-rice-muscles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They are paid to represent a city, to represent a team and most importantly to represent the fans, so if they don’t act accordingly they should be allowed to play the game, no three strikes here, more like one and you’re done.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Call me old fashioned, but in my day if someone wanted a raise they earned it, not just held up a sign demanding it.</span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Money for nothing, and your chicken McNuggets for free!</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Number II:</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I personally think this Kendall Jones character (if you’re not familiar with her work click <a href="http://educateinspirechange.org/nature/watch-awesome-response-kendall-jones-hunter-wild-endangered-animals/" target="_blank">here</a>), and others like her, need to be hunted just like the animals they hunt. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Am I bullying her, well let's ask all the animals she killed solely for the "sport" of it what they think about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sorry, but I think her actions are disgusting and deplorable, as I'm sure some of you will feel my words are, and should not be celebrated to any extent.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It sickens me that these people display the carcasses of their kills as if it was a trophy, like they actually accomplished something praiseworthy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They pose for pictures with it like if it was one of those comical cutouts you would find at the fair where you stick your face through and snap a picture, what an utter disgrace if you ask me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know all you so-called sport hunters out there will tell me this isn’t Looney Tunes, and that the animals you kill aren’t like Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck, they are just soulless creatures here for our amusement since of course we are the superior species on this planet. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With that said, I must remind you that you’re not Elmer Fudd and you have no right going around shooting anything you want to just because you feel like it, all in the name of sport, if you want to call it that. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qiRFKtB_uYg/VTdYDCOppyI/AAAAAAAAC28/-YQTV1wGNSU/s1600/3219978412_78cdf5167d_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qiRFKtB_uYg/VTdYDCOppyI/AAAAAAAAC28/-YQTV1wGNSU/s1600/3219978412_78cdf5167d_m.jpg" width="361" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Number III:</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No offense to Folgers coffee, but wouldn't the best part of waking up, be the fact that you actually woke up and didn't die in your sleep? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong, I'm sure having Folgers in your cup is a nice perk (pardon the pun) but it definitely isn't the best part of waking up…just saying <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All things considered though, if you're going to go, dying in your sleep would be the best way to do so, regardless of if there was Folgers in your cup or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, if we’re being real here, life sucks more than Monica Lewinsky, so maybe just waking up isn’t all that great, so I say screw the coffee and wake up with some hard liquor in your cup followed by a nice Xanax biscotti.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Number IV:</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have some really bad news for you, whether you want to believe it or not, the children of today are not the future as we were lead to believe, but rather they are little sons of bitches with horrible attitudes and evil intentions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gone are the days of kids chomping on Flintstone chewable vitamins, wearing Kool-Aid smiles and of course kids saying the darndest things.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We all know that there are a few good apples in the spoiled bunch, but unfortunately they are few and far between, because most are rotten to the core and filled with gross and nasty worms, real bad “seeds” if you ask me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This horrible brat epidemic could be blamed on the video games they play, the music they listen to or even on the movies/television shows they watch, but realistically we all know it’s our own damn fault, we created these little monsters and now we must pay the piper.&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Number V:</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When someone calls you a motherfucker, are they implying that you fuck your mother, or that you fuck a mother, because honestly the latter isn't really all that bad, and if you happen to be a redneck I guess neither is the former.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just wondering.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CGPQwdAVGMU/VTdaMHT49yI/AAAAAAAAC3I/78L4yOsGEnM/s1600/be-careful-money-doesnt-make-happiness2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CGPQwdAVGMU/VTdaMHT49yI/AAAAAAAAC3I/78L4yOsGEnM/s1600/be-careful-money-doesnt-make-happiness2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Number VI:</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before the person(s) demanding raises for all those fast-food employees does so, maybe they should get all the staff together and let them know that they need to show they deserve it first.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since all this stuff started about giving raises to these employees, I started paying better attention to the service I received at these said establishments, and lo and behold it was less than stellar…I know, no big surprise there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If anything it has showed me that they do not feel they have to work for this extra money they are asking for, that just because the cost of living has gone up so should their paycheck, and unfortunately that’s not the way it works. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As long as the employer is paying you at or above minimum wage than all is good, they aren’t breaking any laws and/or operating a sweat shop, sorry to break it to you. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fast-food employment has always been an entry level position into the workforce as a whole, and not a stopping point, when this changed I’m not really sure but it certainly does puzzle me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know jobs are limited nowadays thanks to the economy, and sometimes you have to take whatever is available, but a fast-food clerk should not be a career, but rather a stepping stone onto bigger and better things.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your resume should only start with that job, not end with it, well that is unless you are hoping to move up through the ranks within the company, then by all means go on with your badself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the record, I’m not saying that these employees don’t deserve a raise of some kind, but you must remember that with more money comes more responsibility, this is how it is across the board so just be prepared.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Number VII:</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Idolizing a musician (or any other celebrity for that matter), who passed on by their own hands or by any other means, solely because you enjoyed their body of work is completely ridiculous. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m not hating, I’m just saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want to look up to someone who is no longer with us, who deserves it, then try someone like Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa and/or Gandhi, just to name a few.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying and/or even admiring an individual’s body of work, but you shouldn’t allow those feelings to transform into blind worship.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being unaware of who that person really was behind closed doors, is more important than their work when it comes to looking up to them and/or emulating the character they portrayed in the public eye. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQL8nH591qQ/VTdaxuXUEdI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/7dGcNHHXYng/s1600/walmartevil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQL8nH591qQ/VTdaxuXUEdI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/7dGcNHHXYng/s1600/walmartevil.jpg" width="337" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Number VIII:</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hard truth, I hope you really like shopping at Walmart, because if you don't support small businesses you'll have no choice but to.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Support small businesses, because once they're gone, we are at the mercy of big business, and that's not a good thing by any means.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't let small businesses become extinct, fight to keep them alive, they are the cornerstone of this great country of ours!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Go out of your way to shop small businesses, it will pay off in the long run...literally.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shop small, with big results, support your local small businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I’m sure you can tell I’m pro small business.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>The End…</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well there you go my friends, just some of the golden nuggets that I have stored in the penthouse of my body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take from them what you will, and feel free to rip me a new one if you so feel fit to, I’m totally okay with that.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span><br /><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-89781004280374590142015-04-08T03:21:00.002-04:002015-04-08T03:22:31.882-04:00“Dirty Rats Using Garbage Suck”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e4RTOvLWcU0/VSTUAtALO_I/AAAAAAAAC1w/oQ48WUuKJh0/s1600/resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e4RTOvLWcU0/VSTUAtALO_I/AAAAAAAAC1w/oQ48WUuKJh0/s1600/resize.jpg" height="400" width="293" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can’t stand drug addicts, and this includes alcoholics, because I personally think they are wasting the most precious gift that any of us could ever ask for, which of course is life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are so many people fighting to survive, battling some unforgiving circumstance that is beyond their control, while these people on the other hand do everything in their power to keep themselves in a comatose state, basically wasting what others are fighting so hard to keep and it makes me sick.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now of course this doesn’t include all addicts, only those who openly and consciously choose to get high/ inebriated on a regular basis and do everything possible to stay that way, regardless of who they hurt in the process.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before I have everyone jumping all over me and crying foul, let me explain why I feel the way I do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Believe it or not, all addicts aren’t people who come from a dysfunctional upbringing, people who have a tortured soul and/or who are trying to mask some sort of terrible/unbearable pain. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are some who do drugs just because they enjoy the effects internally, and disregard the effects externally to their bodies and to their loved ones, and those are the people I’m referring to in this piece.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I grew up with many people like this, and I witnessed firsthand just about any kind of addict you can possibly think of, all the destruction and chaos they caused, and the whole time never stopping long enough to inquire how their families/friends were holding up during the whole ordeal. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jW51tHLtDdE/VSTUxXREXZI/AAAAAAAAC14/1xaVu7v9u3Y/s1600/funny-elmo-muppets-drugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jW51tHLtDdE/VSTUxXREXZI/AAAAAAAAC14/1xaVu7v9u3Y/s1600/funny-elmo-muppets-drugs.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the hard stuff like heroine and cocaine, to the prescribed stuff like painkillers and pills that are supposed to take all your worries away and make you feel as if you were floating on cloud nine.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And let’s not forget about those who let the alcohol flow, regardless of the brand and/or how it was obtained, like Niagara Falls.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Needless to say it wasn’t a pretty picture, not by any means, and not a lifestyle I would choose to entertain for me and my own, it was dark and dismal and actually very sad to say the least.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are taught they have a disease; however it is us who have the disease. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They have to be the ones who are ill, because there are doctors/scientists who have told us so, "<i>and we's two stewpid two think for ourselves ah duh", </i>so it has to be true.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MfBQ3pqR0gc/VSTVc2YBqLI/AAAAAAAAC2A/3gQqvuNTXaM/s1600/stupid-human-tricks-L-UrRyNr.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MfBQ3pqR0gc/VSTVc2YBqLI/AAAAAAAAC2A/3gQqvuNTXaM/s1600/stupid-human-tricks-L-UrRyNr.jpeg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We make excuses for their behavior and allow them to feel as if they are the victims in all this, like they just have a very dangerous hobby and all our cares and concerns are only getting in the way of their good time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know when it comes to loved ones it’s easier to believe that, to think they wouldn’t purposely treat their bodies like a garbage truck and us like hindrance and/or pawns unless there was obviously something wrong with them, a sickness if you will.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve been there, seen it for myself, and even at times made excuses and allowances for them as a result, so I know this to be the reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn’t until I grew wiser that I was able to see the forest through the trees, I was able to see what was truly going on right in front of my eyes and all the dirty little secrets that we as a society brush under the rug to help us feel better about ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEvKPLEC6ZI/VSTWc6Oha7I/AAAAAAAAC2M/X7Iuab3NC2I/s1600/Falling_Apart_by_WladoTheAlphaChicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEvKPLEC6ZI/VSTWc6Oha7I/AAAAAAAAC2M/X7Iuab3NC2I/s1600/Falling_Apart_by_WladoTheAlphaChicken.jpg" height="301" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now of course some of these people eventually wake up and attempt to change their lives for the better, to kick the habit and regain complete control of over their bodies, and that I’m all for and will be their biggest cheerleader.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it is something they must do on their own, we cannot force them to do it nor will any amount of begging and pleading make it happen if they are not truly willing themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bottom line is this, we must stop being enablers to these people and making excuses for their actions, because the only way they will get better, if that is even a possibility, is if we show them tough love and make it apparent to them that we will not just sit back and let them interfere with our happiness and well-being.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If they so choose to destroy themselves and waste the life they have been blessed with, then let them do so alone, that way there won’t be any collateral damage or innocent casualties. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This may sound harsh, but it’s the only way, we must toughen up and stop being just another insignificant piece in the game they are playing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-64729311849585941412015-04-02T02:15:00.000-04:002015-04-02T02:16:49.134-04:00“Shopping Snafus” <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9wTH7Ildxk/VRzbsMdcrzI/AAAAAAAACx8/KAUv9GONEkY/s1600/124255198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9wTH7Ildxk/VRzbsMdcrzI/AAAAAAAACx8/KAUv9GONEkY/s1600/124255198.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not your typical man, I don't mind going to the store and buying things like feminine hygiene products as most do, because I know there’s no way that the other store goers could possibly mistake them as mine, but then again in today’s day and age you never really know. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My problem is when buying items and/or a combination of items that I feel shouldn’t be sold in stores where you’re not allowed to come in with a mask on, that make me feel awkward, and even in some cases a little odd.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would it kill them to offer you some kind of covering for you face when you walk in, like maybe something in a paper or plastic?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For example, I can’t bring myself to buy Spic and Span, and not because I don’t think it’s a great cleaning agent, but rather because I don't want people to think I'm racist…is that wrong?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a hard time (no pun intended) buying petroleum jelly, I just don’t want people thinking I’m going to bop my bologna when I get home, sure we all know that’s exactly what I’m going to do, but I just don’t want them thinking it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won’t buy any sinus headache medicine or Chore Boys in the store either, because I’m too afraid of people thinking I’m a druggie and calling the DEA, I don’t want the bad boys coming for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbB4_yPFOzs/VRzd0DLbx4I/AAAAAAAACyY/0EM0kDTr3UI/s1600/spic-and-span.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbB4_yPFOzs/VRzd0DLbx4I/AAAAAAAACyY/0EM0kDTr3UI/s1600/spic-and-span.jpg" height="320" width="289" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t buy any cream and/or powder where its main purpose is to relieve an itch, a fungus and/or a rash, that’s just not happening for obvious reasons.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also no hemorrhoid creams or lice shampoos, I mean come on do I really need to explain this one?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank God for the internet and free porn, because if I had to rely on getting my rocks of from magazines I had to buy at the store, let’s just say that unfortunately there would be many un-wet dreams to be had for this perv.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can’t buy shoes (size 13 baby) and condoms at the same time either, separately they are fine, but together I feel like it kills they only positive stereotype I have going for me…let’s just say there are no Magnums in my grocery cart if you catch my drift.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xe8P_qyNjW8/VRzc3cvA7eI/AAAAAAAACyQ/mieM7HlF3wM/s1600/Petroleum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xe8P_qyNjW8/VRzc3cvA7eI/AAAAAAAACyQ/mieM7HlF3wM/s1600/Petroleum.jpg" height="400" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a rough time buying gerbils at the pet store, mainly because I can sometimes be confused for a gay man, and well you know that whole Richard Gere rumor…no thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Buying medication for diarrhea and gas, something else I’m not too comfortable with, I mean do I really want strangers knowing what happening back there, it’s bad enough they already think I have gerbils wrestling my rectum.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do I think too much into things, sure I do, but I can’t help it, it’s just how I am?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe I should get myself one of those personal shoppers, the people who love to shop for others and don’t care what’s on the list as long at the pay is right.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span><br /><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-48509406649499777352015-03-19T02:48:00.001-04:002016-03-20T20:39:28.528-04:00“Real American Heroes”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nw6mnATULNQ/VQpweWCbz9I/AAAAAAAACuU/xPcMyolnj_k/s1600/Real%2BAmerican%2BHeroes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nw6mnATULNQ/VQpweWCbz9I/AAAAAAAACuU/xPcMyolnj_k/s1600/Real%2BAmerican%2BHeroes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">You may disagree with the war we are fighting and/or not be a big fan of the Commander-in-Chief, but don't let that taint your feelings towards the amazing men and women who give their all to serve and protect this great country of ours. Their actions warrant our love and support all the time and not just during designated holidays and/or when we as people feel the need to be patriotic, they deserve much better than that. They sacrifice so that we don’t have to, they keep a watchful eye so that we can rest peacefully and they diligently stand guard so that we can be at ease, just imagine what our lives would be like if they weren’t there.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><i>“Forgot to Remember”…</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">It's easy to forget and to take for granted the many blessings that we have when we're not the ones on the front lines fighting the battle, but we must do our best to not let that happen and to always remember what we have and why we have it. We should salute our soldiers of the armed forces (past, present and future) every day, and thank them from the bottom of ours hearts for the freedoms, the rights and the peace of mind they have bestowed upon us, because without them none of that would be possible. Go out of your way to shake the hand of and/or to give a warm embrace to any person who has fought or is fighting for us and our country, show them that we appreciate it and that we are aware of their unselfish deeds.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><i>“Foxtrot Alpha Mike India Lima Yankee”…</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">We must also not forget the families who are left behind when their significant other, their child/parent and/or their sibling decides to embark on this journey; they remain here with uncertainties as to what the future holds for them and their loved ones. These individuals proudly give so that we can be safeguarded, so that we can have confidence in knowing that everything will be alright and that the evils in this world would be kept at bay all thanks to the due diligence of their child/parent/sibling. They may lose a little piece of themselves in the process, but at the same time they gain a tremendous amount of respect and pride as a result of the actions and passion demonstrated by their soldiers. When you come across a family who has a loved one in the military, make sure to let them know that you recognize their sacrifice and that the absence of their family member weighs heavily upon us all.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><i>“The Military Machine”…</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">There are many components that allow this machine we know to function properly, and if we were to lose any part of it the whole thing would come crumbling down around us, so make sure to support and to show love to the fine men and women in uniform who make this world a safer place for us all. There is no amount of gratitude that we can express that is sufficient for all you have done for us and how we feel towards you as a person. With that said, I do want to thank you for your service, commitment and dedication to us and our country, I truly appreciate it and may God bless you all.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><i>“Got Your 6”…</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Keep in mind that some of our soldiers need more than a friendly gesture and/or an American flag flying outside your house. They need jobs, medical attention and/or a roof over their heads. They shouldn’t have to come back to our country, especially after everything they’ve done to keep it “our” country, to have to struggle just to survive. There is absolutely no justification for this and it is completely ridiculous and disgraceful to say the least. They fought for our lives, so the least we could do is fight for theirs.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><i>“A Personal Message to Our Soldiers”…</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I have never served, so I wouldn’t even pretend to understand what it’s like to walk a mile in your boots, but I just wanted to share a personal experience that may be helpful to some of you. I have been down and out. I have been so low that I had to look up to see bottom. I felt like at the time, that the only way to find peace was to end it all. I can’t claim that our journeys took the same path, but I can promise you that you’re not alone and that help is out there. The trail may not be the easiest to travel through, but it is totally worth making the effort. You are worth it, and so are your family and friends.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="http://the-insane-asylum.blogspot.com/2014/03/suicide.html" target="_blank"><b><i>“Suicide”</i></b></a></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">MJM</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><i>“Links”…&nbsp;</i></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Please check out the links below, and if possible contribute to their causes, because you may feel that it doesn’t affect you directly, but trust me it does. They have scratched our backs, so now it’s time we scratch theirs.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">(These are only a few charities, there are many more who would benefit greatly from your generosity)</span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVFzgtfFYEg/VQpwnLeiQ5I/AAAAAAAACuc/mOvYV4JtYi8/s1600/Wounded_Warrior_Project_logo.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0IC2vKJL3E/VQpw3qe1BGI/AAAAAAAACuk/HYBtgbfrKo4/s1600/hopeftwarriors.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dav.org/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sXBbSThjTv8/VQpxByefNgI/AAAAAAAACus/FB26gei_cdU/s1600/DAV.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-30543276463486825162015-03-12T03:52:00.003-04:002015-03-13T19:34:26.644-04:00“Sunday Bloody Sunday”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P-oiO3vyTsE/VQE8MUwjtbI/AAAAAAAACqQ/I8g0ijx8YWQ/s1600/Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P-oiO3vyTsE/VQE8MUwjtbI/AAAAAAAACqQ/I8g0ijx8YWQ/s1600/Jesus.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I miss football; Sundays just aren’t the same without it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">Yes we have baseball, but truthfully I would rather watch the Cowboys win the Superbowl…who am I kidding, no I wouldn't.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also know there's church, but it's not like we can sack the pastor and/or pour a bucket of the blood of Christ on him as if it was Gatorade for delivering a good sermon…or could we.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Honestly if we could I would frigging love it, church would kick more ass than a donkey punter and I would be there bright and early every Sunday, front row center.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately though we can’t, we have to sit there quietly and completely bored out of our minds, kind of like being a Tampa Bay Bucs fan (sorry, I know low blow).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now bust out those big foam fingers proclaiming somebody is number one and point them straight up to the heavens, because I’m about to take you to football church! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are some commonalities the two share, like for example public prayers, Hail Marys and of course a person in a position of authority wearing a black and white uniform screwing someone over.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oZ1jWSe8UUg/VQFBD8DATaI/AAAAAAAACqk/vsny3ut2R40/s1600/TImTebowFunnyJesusChristFOamFinger.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oZ1jWSe8UUg/VQFBD8DATaI/AAAAAAAACqk/vsny3ut2R40/s1600/TImTebowFunnyJesusChristFOamFinger.png" height="400" width="292" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But what if they incorporated more footballsy things into church; it would really make it a heck (sorry for the harsh language) of a lot more interesting and would totally put more butts in those uncomfortable seats of theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Speaking of their uncomfortable seats; or torture devices as I like to call them, what was the thinking behind that? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whose bright idea was it to make sitting through a sermon just as much a pain in the rear as it in on the ears; this person must be fired at once or sentenced to a lifetime of being an altar boy at a church that gives out Viagra instead of those little wafers as the body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would a nice relaxing seat really be all that bad, I mean think about it, the reason most people don’t want to go is because the thought of substituting their cozy couch for a hard piece of wood makes their bums scream out in agony like they just sat on a freezing cold toilet seat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Replace the horrendous benches with something more pleasant for the derriere and you may just see the attendance pick up, just saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, enough about the seating arrangements, now back to the game…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Throw out the bible, send them to all the homeless people living out on the streets, and give them something to line their cardboard boxes with during the winter months so that they can keep warm. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jwBNk-1Zk4/VQFDW6YHjCI/AAAAAAAACqw/zzOv5A3jg5s/s1600/0b6fc2bbb5a38c2c182d0d967f053eda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jwBNk-1Zk4/VQFDW6YHjCI/AAAAAAAACqw/zzOv5A3jg5s/s1600/0b6fc2bbb5a38c2c182d0d967f053eda.jpg" height="312" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Replace it with sports card style literature, complete with action poses, stats (i.e. how many kills, how many stones thrown, etc.) and a piece of petrified gum.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just don’t forget to throw in some rare cards to make it more intriguing, like Jesus miracle holograms and/or lost souls card which could include the spirits of people who ended up in purgatory.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Think of all the fun the kids will have trading them.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Time to get things moving as if we were down by a score in the fourth quarter and we just hit the two-minute warning, so hold on tight because here we go… &nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Smoking hot cheerleaders in short skirts shaking their pom-poms behind the priest also wouldn’t hurt, but please just no nuns in cheerleader’s outfits, ugh talk about nightmares.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A time clock would make things a little easier to tolerate too, because t<span style="background: white;">ime flies during football season like a perfectly thrown spiral, but when in church it moves ever so slowly like a your time in a doctor’s waiting room, so knowing how much longer you had before you could rise up and fly out the door like an angel the better.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K9q87CFLyjQ/VQFEk97EMtI/AAAAAAAACq8/ULEYBrtD3wQ/s1600/DallasCheerleaders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K9q87CFLyjQ/VQFEk97EMtI/AAAAAAAACq8/ULEYBrtD3wQ/s1600/DallasCheerleaders.jpg" height="313" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We all know that church already has a mascot, Mr. Jesus Christ himself, but he’s going to have to lighten up and stop telling everyone where they’re going when they die, unless of course it’s to the Superbowl!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each church could have their own team name and colors, because nothing brings people closer together than being able to cheer on their favorite team while rocking out in their sweet gear.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We also must not forget about the holy trash talking, because what good is a competitive environment if we’re not able to tell opposing fans that by rooting for their church they are sinning and will burn in hell, like all those gay people, Democrats and just about anyone else who doesn’t follow our particular religion.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having commentators give you the play-by-play of the goings on under the steeple would definitely spice up the atmosphere, especially if they shared all those dirty little secrets that are normally kept locked away like all those pesky Da Vinci codes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead of just taking our money and not giving us anything in return, other than a new addition being built on to the priest’s mansion, they could really shake things up by allowing us to bet on the outcome of the service with the winner getting the collection plate proceeds.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, get rid of the choir and have big name acts perform each Sunday, just like in the Superbowl halftime show, imagine going to church and seeing a Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction”…mmm chocolate nipple.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6mkgBBFw8uk/VQFFe_IDujI/AAAAAAAACrM/1fz8iJKgi34/s1600/justin-timberlake-janet-jackson-wardrobe-malfunction-super-bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6mkgBBFw8uk/VQFFe_IDujI/AAAAAAAACrM/1fz8iJKgi34/s1600/justin-timberlake-janet-jackson-wardrobe-malfunction-super-bowl.jpg" height="359" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Football. A-Touchdown!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span><br /><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-57816826284937650982015-03-05T01:14:00.000-05:002015-03-05T01:26:07.644-05:00“Facebook: Like it or Lump it”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qlpKlrZslJE/VPfzW4PIwvI/AAAAAAAACns/xk6-3XByr0Q/s1600/5956143_f520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qlpKlrZslJE/VPfzW4PIwvI/AAAAAAAACns/xk6-3XByr0Q/s1600/5956143_f520.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to the "thumbs up" button, they should really have a "thumbs down" and a "middle finger" button, that way you could truly voice how you feel about some of the nonsense people post there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel like the “Facebook man” is keeping us down, telling us to either like it or lump it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They want to portray this happy-go-lucky atmosphere, make outsiders think that all their users are shiny happy people without a care in the world, a bunch of Grateful Dead groupies if you will.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s almost as if they believe we all have a permanent smile plastered across our faces like the Joker in The Dark Knight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Wanna know how I got these scars? Facebook was a drinker and a fiend. And one night he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So - me watching - he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it! Turns to me, and he says, "Why so serious, son?" Comes at me with the knife... "Why so serious?" He sticks the blade in my mouth... "Let's put a smile on that face!" And...why so serious?”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See how mean Facebook is?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--FowwB5envA/VPfysy6-g0I/AAAAAAAACnk/ukVzlzKxiGo/s1600/Facebook-Addiction1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--FowwB5envA/VPfysy6-g0I/AAAAAAAACnk/ukVzlzKxiGo/s1600/Facebook-Addiction1.jpg" height="269" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However we all know the truth, we are a bunch of cynical and miserable bitches and bastards who look at the glass as half full, and we’re damn proud of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are a group of cumquats who are too hip for MySpace, but not quite hip enough for Twitter, so we find ourselves chilling out on Facebook like an ice cube in a tall refreshing glass of lemonade. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We don’t go with the grain and we don’t go against it, we just sit there like a bump on a log doing absolutely nothing, letting real life pass us by while we happily scroll through page after page of people’s useless thoughts, opinions and random crap that happened to them throughout the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Facebook is our life blood; it’s what keeps us ticking and what keeps as alive!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The problem is that the almighty Facebook gods don’t let us be ourselves; they keep us from genuinely expressing ourselves as if we were Madonna in the late 80s.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now with that said, I suggest we start a campaign to show them how serious we are about wanting these additions!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzeyLxUmA3I/VPfz6i4UTdI/AAAAAAAACn0/DgxEaIDP3Gg/s1600/madonna-express-yourself-video-set-0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzeyLxUmA3I/VPfz6i4UTdI/AAAAAAAACn0/DgxEaIDP3Gg/s1600/madonna-express-yourself-video-set-0004.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #4b4f4f;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We could really clean things if this comes to fruition. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4b4f4f;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #4b4f4f;">Think about it, people would think twice before they just<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></span>haphazardly clicked post after writing some ridiculous rambling.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(246, 247, 248); color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want to fight the power, and rage against the machine, then click <a href="https://www.change.org/p/facebook-add-a-thumbs-down-and-middle-finger-button" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;and support the cause!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(246, 247, 248); color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: rgb(246, 247, 248); color: #141823;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(246, 247, 248); color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now this is a cause we should really be sharing with every single person we know on Facebook, and not those stupid games, quizzes and/or causes for cures and stuff…just saying. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span></span></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-6208220350491141102015-02-19T01:39:00.001-05:002015-02-19T01:48:18.550-05:00“The ABCs of White-Trash”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDRjRHH8y2E/VOV-8ZSnnkI/AAAAAAAACiQ/9Kz7nBU7qPM/s1600/white-trash-trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDRjRHH8y2E/VOV-8ZSnnkI/AAAAAAAACiQ/9Kz7nBU7qPM/s1600/white-trash-trailer.jpg" height="317" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now this piece isn’t going to be about The Jackson 5 and their hit song “ABC”, or a trip down good old Sesame Street to get your learn on, so if you’re easily offended and/or looking for some of that wholesome humor that you would find on Lifetime then you’re in the wrong place.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a list of the ABCs of white-trash, a list of things that would make the Bundy's (Married with Children) blush, or at least feel a little uneasy about.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here goes…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A is for alcoholics anonymous, because one needs something to do when they aren’t drinking. I find it funny that when they have their drunk on they don’t care about being anonymous, but as soon as they are getting help they don’t want anyone to know, it’s a secret. If you ask me I think these people are ashamed of the wrong thing.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">B is for bastard, which pretty much sums up all the kids born into white-trash families. Fathers are scarce in these families, at least ones that would admit to being the poppa without a DNA and Maury Povich. Mothers on the other hand really have no choice; it’s hard for them to deny that it wasn’t them blasting a kid of their lady parts in the delivery room. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">C is for crack, and I don't mean the kind that is located down a plumber's back, which there is plenty of, but rather the kind that is white as snow and smells oh so great…or at least that’s what I’ve heard. This stuff flows like water in a white-trash household, more of a pastime than baseball is.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x26O9EvLzR4/VOV_l9GEs_I/AAAAAAAACig/jiSI4bCok54/s1600/TestResult-failed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x26O9EvLzR4/VOV_l9GEs_I/AAAAAAAACig/jiSI4bCok54/s1600/TestResult-failed.jpg" height="254" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">D is for drug test, they are to white-trash as kryptonite is to Superman. When one of these individuals is selected for a “random” drug test their stomachs turn, they feel as if they were just betrayed by their best friend. They know they are about to lose something that is near and dear to their heart, and I’m not talking about a job here, but rather something like foodstamps or their goodies (aka prescription drugs).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">E is for eviction, because when mister landlord finally has enough of their shenanigans and decides to throw the bums out, an eviction is what they get. White-trash people are professionals when it comes to evictions, they know exactly how long they have before the big bad sheriff comes a knocking.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">F is for fighting, fisticuffs and mouths running amok. It isn't a party until there is some scrapping going down like on an episode of Jerry Springer. Don’t get it twisted, they may all claim to hate the cops but they will call them when shit gets real, and unfortunately for the cops when they arrive on the scene they become the bad guys and are stuck in the middle of a white-trash hoedown.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">G is for garbage, on trash night their eyes light up like the one working headlight on a hooptie, they get all happy and giddy because they know it’s almost time to shop. When the neighbors are nestled all snug in their beds, they hit the streets like gangbusters looking for all those great deals to furnish their trailers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1fYedTblORs/VOV_Kdx0f7I/AAAAAAAACiY/kTo67gwudag/s1600/__White_Trash___Shoot_Photo_7_by_jimd118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1fYedTblORs/VOV_Kdx0f7I/AAAAAAAACiY/kTo67gwudag/s1600/__White_Trash___Shoot_Photo_7_by_jimd118.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">H is for hoes, which is unfortunately what all the female kind becomes when born under the white-trash umbrella. These skanks pass around STDs like Jehovah's Witnesses passing around their Watchtower crap. When their brother’s friends come over, it’s not to play Monopoly or Parcheesi, but to play naked cashier (they don’t play doctor because they don’t like to be unrealistic) with their sister.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I is for injustice, because anything that happens to them that they don’t like and/or agree with, it is labeled as an injustice. What, my car is being repossessed for lack of payment; but I’m only five months behind…what an injustice!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">J is for jerk, because that is exactly what these freaks become when dealing with anyone in a customer service oriented field. They just feel it is their duty to make these people’s lives miserable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">K is for kids, and these freaks have a lot of them, from many different partners, they make BeBe's kids look like child’s play. They see dollar signs for every kid they pop out, foodstamp balance goes up and their excitement level follows suit, no more cheap hot dogs at their house. And from the birth certificate to the obituaries, these little sons of bitches are major pains in the ass and go out of their way to make our lives a living hell. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">L is for lice, what can I say, some families have cats and/or dogs as pets, but in a white-trash family they have those precious little head critters known as lice as their faithful companion. There is so much lice in their hair that they would need Moses to part them just to get a haircut.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M is for manners, which none of these douchebags have. They will make sure that you, and anyone around them, knows that they are just a few brain cells from flinging poop at each other and hanging out in the zoo in the monkey cage.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">N is for noise, and white-trash individuals definitely know how to make it, and they love to make it at the most inopportune time and extremely loud. God forbid you ever have to live by any of these monsters, because trust me; you won’t be having a quiet nights rest any time soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">O is for oblivious, which is something they all seem to be when dealing with real world problems/issues, but they sure as hell can tell you what happened last night on Big Brother or Jersey Shore without missing a beat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bSsRauqLKws/VOWCK4U79kI/AAAAAAAACi0/IlChEZZmeEo/s1600/103891373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bSsRauqLKws/VOWCK4U79kI/AAAAAAAACi0/IlChEZZmeEo/s1600/103891373.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P is for prescription pills, or as most call them, party favors. Take as prescribed means absolutely nothing when it comes to these little bad boys. They are eaten like candy, sometimes even kept in a Pez dispencer…one with a Rush Limbaugh topper.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Q is for queef, the ladies don’t want to be outdone by their male counterparts so when he farts she queefs. Also, regardless of which sex dealt it, they all blame it on the dog because it’s just the funny thing to do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">R is for roaches, these families have both, the ones to hold their little joints, and the big brown ones that come out at night when the lights go off, just like Batman. Surprisingly they don’t seem too concerned and/or willing to get rid of either any time soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">S is for sue, and we’re not talking about a woman here, but rather the possibility of scamming someone, or some company over all with the hopes of scoring a big payday. These people live for the chance to sue, when an occasion presents itself they get all excited like a kid on Christmas morning waiting to open up his/her gift while mom and dad are sleeping.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">T is for terminated, because nothing makes a white-trash individual feel as if they won the lottery more than getting fired from their job, because they know it’s now money for nothing and checks for free. Unemployment is their dream job.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nyp0aETFGtE/VOWEfafLr6I/AAAAAAAACjM/hKZhFRXi7Q0/s1600/trump_fired.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nyp0aETFGtE/VOWEfafLr6I/AAAAAAAACjM/hKZhFRXi7Q0/s1600/trump_fired.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">U if for underwear, which is something that they won’t change all that often, that is unless you count turning them inside out as changing them, because then it is a little more frequent but still not enough to warrant good personal hygiene.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">V is for violence; because when words just aren’t enough to hurt someone and crush their soul it’s time to get all fisty, stabby and shooty on their asses. That’ll teach them!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">W is for work, which is something they try to avoid at all costs. Work is for the weak, for the people who like to pay all their bills on time and junk. And when they desire something shiny and new it’s time to hit the pawn shop to sell something they “borrowed” from their next-door neighbor. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">X is for Xanax, they all take it and totally wipe their asses with the recommended dosage amount, because they are rebels and they are not having any of that nonsense. Trust me, they don’t take it to deal with anxieties/stresses in their life, considering none of them have jobs, bills or just about anything else that would cause a normal person to rip their hair out, so we all know that’s not it. The only reason they take it is to be like a kite. They say you trip when you take a bunch of it, but if you ask me, if I wanted to take a trip without leaving my house I would just watch the Travel channel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Y is for yelling, which is an art form these kinds of people excel in. If it was an Olympic event they would take home the gold every time. They especially love to yell in public, where there are many ears around to hear all the crazy they spew from their pieholes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9dQTz4fRa8o/VOWDS-nHFLI/AAAAAAAACjA/g1U6OUtDs5g/s1600/lucy-lawless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9dQTz4fRa8o/VOWDS-nHFLI/AAAAAAAACjA/g1U6OUtDs5g/s1600/lucy-lawless.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Z is for zero, which is the number of times that a white-trash individual will brush their teeth and/or put on deodorant on any given day. What you don’t believe, try going to any Walmart and you will see I’m not lying here.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well there you have it, the ABCs of white-trash brought to you by the mind of a man whose brain is stuck on crazy around the clock.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Now if you actually made it to the end of the piece without punching your computer screen and calling me something derogatory, then I got some other works you might like.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://the-insane-asylum.blogspot.com/2013/05/difference-between-white-trash-and.html" target="_blank">“Difference Between White-Trash and Redneck”</a></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://the-insane-asylum.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-abcs-of-perversion.html" target="_blank">“The ABCs of Perversion”</a></span></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-52384495809326985712015-02-17T00:32:00.000-05:002015-02-17T22:58:14.061-05:00“Five Reasons You Know You Live Next-door to a Jerk”<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guess what all you party people out there in internetland! I have a guest blogger visiting The Insane Asylum today…and yes she’s real and not just a figment of my imagination. Check out what she has to say about neighbors from hell from her own personal experiences, and when you’re done make sure to check out the links below for more about her.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So sit back, enjoy and show some mad love to author Nicole Maddalo Dixon!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yR0C5zlE0cw/VOLQUEIMiDI/AAAAAAAAChg/HgSp3cT36LI/s1600/me%2Bin%2Bcolor%2B%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yR0C5zlE0cw/VOLQUEIMiDI/AAAAAAAAChg/HgSp3cT36LI/s1600/me%2Bin%2Bcolor%2B%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being a homeowner is a marvelous thing. First of all, you now have a real live, grown-up piece of equity, which means you have financial security. It also means you get to pack up your shit and make good on that promise to your parents to run away from home. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But there are negative things that come with being a homeowner. For instance, there’s Buyer’s Remorse, which, in our case meant we should have viewed the home during prime daylight hours instead of after 6PM, because our house gets no fucking sunlight. Our home is where light, and hope, come to die. Seriously, flowers and plants cannot survive on our property because…no sunlight. And then there is the worst nightmare of all: The goddamned jerky next-door neighbor.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now these five examples all come from the neighbor my husband and I were stuck living immediately next to, in a townhome no less, for seven god-less years, but they also happen to apply to every jerk neighbor in the world, so it’s a win-win situation for the sake of this article, but a lose-lose situation for your sanity and criminal-free record when you finally lose your shit and straight-up murder them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Non-Stop Parties<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My husband and I came home from a decent, fun night out around 11PM and found out that we were suddenly living next to what was the equivalent of a frat house. Making this analogy even more precious is the fact that guests (and by guests I am of course referring to douchebags), were still arriving, and no douchebag guest would be complete without their douchey toga. Yes, this girl, in her late twenties by then, was having a real life toga party.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2sw9EAHVCZ8/VOLQk_zvsBI/AAAAAAAACho/JrKCYKK1__Q/s1600/me%2Bblack%2Band%2Bwhite%2B%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2sw9EAHVCZ8/VOLQk_zvsBI/AAAAAAAACho/JrKCYKK1__Q/s1600/me%2Bblack%2Band%2Bwhite%2B%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="255" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But Nikki, you’re thinking, that sounds awesome! I can assure you that no, no it is not. First of all, there is an ordinance against noise pollution after 11 PM for a reason, and that is to keep your black-market, nitro-amped speakers from blowing a hole through our wall, or whatever the hell kind of speakers they were (I know nothing about speakers). It is also so that I don’t have to suffer the loud din of your toga infested, douchebag guests while I am in the privacy of my own home and attempting to round off my pleasant day by falling asleep to The Bridges of Madison County. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I’m not talking about the one-night-and-here parties, I’m talking about the every-Friday-and-Saturday-fucking-night kind of parties. Until 4:30 AM! That is NOT effing awesome! Do you honestly think I would lie about that? I wouldn’t do that to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then there’s the fact that…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They Always Own One More Dog than Necessary<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This jerk owned two dogs: One little rinky-dink one, and one big old fat one. Either way, both of them left their turds to fester under the hot, hot sun in the backyard that consisted not of grass, but rocks. What sort of jerk does that? I mean, really. Who makes a rock-yard for the sake of thinking it means you won’t have to clean up your little doggy messes and big fat doggy, big old fat poops?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That little one was always somehow hopping the four foot fence that separated our grass from their rocks and maybe taking a shit on our grass for good measure. And this jerk did nothing to curb her irritating little douche of a dog from hopping that fence. In fact, she even made it easier for that damned dog by carelessly leaving the gate that attached her property to ours open just a smidge. Did you understand what I just explained there? There were two hidden “jerk” red-flags in that one sentence. First, what type of self-entitled jerk installs a fence that gives access&nbsp; the yard directly attached to their neighbor’s, and second, what type of jerk makes it even easier for their pesky, turd-producing jerk of a dog to get out of the yard and run around the neighborhood like a little, miniature jerk? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then there was the weekend she went away with one of the random fellas she’d bring home from the bar (though she wound up marrying this one. Score one for desperation!). She left those ridiculous dogs, locked up I have to assume, in her bedroom with her freaking windows open. It was spring, and my husband and I had our windows open as well to let in a nice, pleasant, little springtime breeze, and apparently also the unwelcome sounds of two jerk dogs barking throughout the entire freaking night. Adding to this fun-filled night is the fact that that bedroom of hers is literally directly next to the bedroom of ours. Finally, at 3 AM, I went outside and left a note on her door that read, and I quote, “Your windows are open and your dogs are barking continuously so we can’t sleep. P.S., everybody on this block hates you.” Signed, Nikki. Yes, I absolutely signed that letter, because that’s how I roll and I would have liked her to dare try and approach me. She never did. She just hid behind the walls of that brothel townhome of hers calling me “the bitch next-door”. I found out about this little gem because…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She Finally Found Someone Who Was Also Equally a Jerk<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x2-AGQSjj_M/VOLRMRJqLoI/AAAAAAAACiA/rptuYhedf1A/s1600/me%2Bwith%2Bbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x2-AGQSjj_M/VOLRMRJqLoI/AAAAAAAACiA/rptuYhedf1A/s1600/me%2Bwith%2Bbook.jpg" height="400" width="293" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, as I mentioned, she managed to get one of the men she brought home on the weekends to stick around, and I’ll tell you why—because he had nothing better to do. She gave him a job in her gym, or whatever the hell it was she owned, and she let him move into her house because she had no self-respect or pride.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He showed up on our doorstep drunk in the evening after 10 PM to “apologize” for her behavior while my husband and I were discussing the horrifying and devastating death of a member of our family. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did not want this brand new contending jerk to stick around, and so I accepted his “apology”, and then explained that we were discussing the death of a loved one and his memorial service in the hopes that he would get the hint and leave quietly. Instead, he proceeded to then apologize for our loss, and then proceeded to unnecessarily stick around all inebriated and wobbly-like, and continue apologizing for, and I can’t stress this enough, something he had taken no part in and so therefore did not know what the fuck he was even talking about. Plus, there was the matter of the alcohol that made damned sure that he did not know what the fuck he was even talking about!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He then asked me my name and said, during his speech of apology, “I only know you as the bitch next-door.” I had to know, so I asked him, “Are you for real? Is this how you give an apology for something that you have no idea what you’re even fucking talking about?” He then proceeded to again accuse me of dumping cigarette ashes and butts between “their” storm and entry doors. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I say “again” because…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He Accused Me of Dumping Cigarette Ashes and Butts between Her Storm and Entry Doors</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So you see, this nightmare neighbor accused me of a crime I did not commit and, proving he was even dumber than I originally</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">thought, said he called the cops to report it. But he totally lied. Now I am a criminal justice major who graduated at the top of her entire graduating class (summa, thank you very much!), so I therefore knew that if he had indeed called the cops, that cop was on the other end of the line rolling his eyes. It turns out this was true because when I snarkily called to check up on his report, the cop whom I spoke with had a very good laugh over this ridiculousness with me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, this asshole announces this imagined crime by telling my husband that I dumped ashes full of cigarette butts between her storm and entry doors. This is just simple proof that more people than just me hated her, because no, I didn’t freaking do that! He should have figured this out by the fact that I am obviously confrontational, and so therefore, have no use for doing sneaky things like dumping cigarette ashes between someone’s front doors.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4xtYq4KV4w/VOLQv0XNvAI/AAAAAAAAChw/EAg_I3fREc8/s1600/me%2Bleatherless%2Bjacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4xtYq4KV4w/VOLQv0XNvAI/AAAAAAAAChw/EAg_I3fREc8/s1600/me%2Bleatherless%2Bjacket.jpg" height="640" width="612" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is how I first found out about him by the way, and I don’t need to remind you of the old adage “There is no second chance for a first impression”. Well, in this case, it was certainly true. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was out that evening, and my husband was sitting peacefully on the porch enjoying a quiet summer night when this new jerk showed up to confront him (and he was drunk of course) about my dumping said ashes, and then proceeded to tell my husband that if I were more of a woman I would have confronted her. Now, if he knew what the fuck he was even talking about he would know that I had confronted her several times in the past which always involved me nicely asking her to be the fuck quiet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, my husband, understandably angry, reports this to me, and so I do what I do best and went over to confront her. But he answered the door. I told him, nicely (this was before I left that fun little post-it on her door telling her everybody hated her), that I did not in fact dump those ashes. So this confirmed genius asks me (the person who did not do it) where the ashes and butts came from then. “How the fuck should I know?” I thought to myself. But what I said was, “Well, there is a beach-bucket right there on your porch that’s filled to the brim with cigarette butts and ashes. Perhaps that’s where they came from.” I’m not even kidding—there was a beach-bucket filled to the brim with cigarette butts and ashes on her front porch. He said “No, they did not.” I don’t have to tell you at this point that these two jerks made it easy for just anyone to come along and show their dislike by using their own cigarette butts and ashes against them. But whatever, clearly they knew that the cigarette butts and ashes did not come from that bucket, and that I did it. I’m sure they combined their genius-level IQs and CSI’d the shit out of those cigarette butts and ashes between their doors and found out my tiny little ashtray did the trick and not that medium-sized beach-bucket full that was sitting right there on their front porch.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And Finally<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I Did Nice Things For Her Always Without So Much As A “Thank You”.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, despite leaving that really mean post-it on her door, I was nothing but genial towards her (no, I don’t know why. I’m just awesome, I assume). During all those parties I went out back and kindly asked her to turn it down, and this is how I was finally pushed into writing that note, because people can only take so much before they crack.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKcuDMCVoUQ/VOLRBK_soiI/AAAAAAAACh4/7r8D85pSjPQ/s1600/me%2Bpink%2Bscarf%2B%5B3%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKcuDMCVoUQ/VOLRBK_soiI/AAAAAAAACh4/7r8D85pSjPQ/s1600/me%2Bpink%2Bscarf%2B%5B3%5D.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also helped rescue that little jerk of a dog when it escaped for the umpteenth time through the smidgen of a crack she left between that intrusive gate and fence, and as she came outside to lazily attempt to catch him herself, she did so at the exact moment I put that dog, lovingly, ever so lovingly, back into her poop-infested rock yard and fucking closed the gate. She just stood there, silent, watching. I gave her a smirk. Seriously? No thank you for that? After all the hell she had put me through? I still helped her dumb little dog from becoming road-pie and she couldn’t even thank me. What a jerk. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you live next to someone, or someone’s like this, who has at least 2-3 of this attributes, you may be living next to a big, fat, jerk. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The End<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nicole Maddalo Dixon is the author of Bandita Bonita: Romancing Billy the Kid, Book I, and was born and raised in Philadelphia, and now lives in Bucks County,&nbsp; PA with her husband, Wallace.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nicolemdixonauthor.com/" target="_blank">Nicole's Author Page</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/billythekidandbandita?ref=hl" target="_blank">Bandita Fan Page</a><o:p></o:p></span><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiMDixon" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twitter Page</span></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-9243588969156915712015-02-12T01:38:00.001-05:002015-03-31T04:12:58.085-04:00“Pearls of Wisdom”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I decided that since I’m so freaking smart and junk, that I would share my wisdom with all the lovely people of the internet. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s the least I could do for the loads of free porn and hours of enjoyment I get from reading all those posts from anonymous tough guys hiding behind keyboards ripping others to shreds for no other reason than to cause more havoc than a red sock that found its way into a load of whites.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So sit back and enjoy, and there’s no need to thank me because I’m all about educating the wisdomless. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xUeP4gfImQ/VNxKlxHMugI/AAAAAAAACgs/GVoi8ZSub5M/s1600/baby3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xUeP4gfImQ/VNxKlxHMugI/AAAAAAAACgs/GVoi8ZSub5M/s1600/baby3.jpg" height="371" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here we go…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Not all cops are bad, remember it's not the uniform it's the person wearing it that decides its fate. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So before you go judging a profession based on the actions of a few, take a step back, refocus and deal with the guilty individual(s) accordingly and not take it out on the profession as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Due to events that have transpired over the past year, we have learned that black lives matter, which should have totally been a given but in this world you never really know.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now with that said, I personally think we should replace the word “black” with “all” and just go with “all lives matter, because that’s the way it should be.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Black or white, gay or straight, it&nbsp;doesn't&nbsp;matter, we should all follow the philosophy live&nbsp;and let live and stop hating on people for no other reason than the fact that they are different than ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59OOHcfl7ME/VNxIibLFXfI/AAAAAAAACgU/u0AaKCOAoxI/s1600/Lesbians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59OOHcfl7ME/VNxIibLFXfI/AAAAAAAACgU/u0AaKCOAoxI/s1600/Lesbians.jpg" height="400" width="330" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. &nbsp;To those bible beating homophobic males out there in the world who believe that all gays are going to hell, for no real reason other than loving someone of the same sex. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You do know that includes your precious lesbians too, and I don't just mean just the butch ones either, those hot lipstick lesbians that you enjoy so much are also going?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Why do we need special times/occasions to find a cure, to show someone just how loved they are and/or to celebrate a significant event in the world we live in? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shouldn't&nbsp;we spread happiness and love every day, and not just when we're told to?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Hating on others because of their sexual preference, the color of their skin, their choice in religion, etc, is just plain old stupid and needs to stop.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know some of you may say this is a given, which of course it should be, but unfortunately it is not, thanks to all the ignorant people we have breathing our air and freely walking our streets.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There should be a law that makes it legal to punch idiots square in their big stupid heads, just like the stand your ground law, your intelligence is threatened when these fools open their pie holes so it is justified.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. We need to learn to keep our mouths shut, our personal input is not as important as we believe it is, whether you want to believe it or not.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes the smartest thing to do is keep your lips zipped, and our opinions to ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(The End)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A2Jai8NahfE/VNxKDgnviuI/AAAAAAAACgk/y3x2NlTFLZk/s1600/daa18473e1b78d0d01282ef53245a391d57310724bcffaf68c2ef4f1c33d3979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A2Jai8NahfE/VNxKDgnviuI/AAAAAAAACgk/y3x2NlTFLZk/s1600/daa18473e1b78d0d01282ef53245a391d57310724bcffaf68c2ef4f1c33d3979.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well there you have it party people, you just got served a nice big helping of meaty and yummy delicious brain food, enjoy it and chew with your mouths closed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span><br /><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-48542134818957934722015-01-15T18:09:00.000-05:002015-02-01T17:13:17.243-05:00“Manspreading”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7DnNu7zvek/VLhDqRnQ5gI/AAAAAAAACbk/bJ0a1-SU6DA/s1600/Manspreading.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7DnNu7zvek/VLhDqRnQ5gI/AAAAAAAACbk/bJ0a1-SU6DA/s1600/Manspreading.png" height="308" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First it was the seats on an airplane, fat people had to buy one or two extra all depending on their circumference to accommodate for their girth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now however, they’ve gone too far. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They are attacking innocent men who have no other option but to sit with their legs spread on the subway (<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=manspreading" target="_blank">manspreading</a>), either that or run the risk of racking themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When it comes to buying extra seats because you’re fat I’m all for it, because for the most part fat is something you can control, but having balls is not and one should not be penalized for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course one does not have to have their legs spread as wide as a trailer park tramp who accepts foodstamps for a good time, but there does need to be a gap just like in Michael Strahan’s teeth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m all for standing so a woman could sit, but trust me another man would completely understand and not think twice about letting the spread happen as needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VioDdOmhS1o/VLhF-WRE7JI/AAAAAAAACbw/IWkOdA6_r80/s1600/Strahan%2BGap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VioDdOmhS1o/VLhF-WRE7JI/AAAAAAAACbw/IWkOdA6_r80/s1600/Strahan%2BGap.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If anything a man sitting next to you might just get up to help a brother out, trust me I know because I’ve done it myself, us carriers of the jewels have to stick together.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And if need be, when I do ride the subway, I would have no problem buying one or two extra tokens, all depending on what kind of testicle day I was having, &nbsp;just to make my wiener and meatballs feel comfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As for all those people out there who are claiming it’s just an ego thing, which I’m sure are all women, don’t know the half of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t partake in the manspread because I think I’m hung like a horse, but rather because I know the pain of having one’s balls squished, and believe me it doesn’t feel good.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of you may say if that’s the case then why do butch lesbians do it?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In all fairness though that is not an accurate comparison, because they are trying to be like a man, so they will take on certain mannerisms of ours to accomplish that task, even sitting like us.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I want to be like a fish I would swim in the ocean, but that doesn’t mean I can breathe under water, understand?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bottom line is that this “movement” isn’t really about our fellas and how much room we allow for them, but more so the fact that some men won’t vacate their seat for a woman.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I completely understand that, and as I stated before would be more than happy to do so, but in all reality this kind of behavior from the men of today is partially to blame on the women of today.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Relax, before you go all girl power on me, I’m just saying that you send mixed signals when it comes to what a man should and shouldn’t do for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You need to make up your minds and let us know, do you want us to act like complete gentleman, or let you be woman and hear you roar?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No matter what the outcome, just please keep the “kids” out of this.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcLu7HaSZoA/VLhHuENeQEI/AAAAAAAACb8/fXncP5yHYmg/s1600/angry-woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcLu7HaSZoA/VLhHuENeQEI/AAAAAAAACb8/fXncP5yHYmg/s1600/angry-woman.jpg" height="319" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They have nothing to do with all this nonsense and don’t deserve to be placed in front of the firing squad or in a vise-grip (ouch).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well there you have it, my feelings on the spread and the men behind it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take it for what it’s worth but always remember, while yours can close shut like a clam, ours has to have plenty of breathing room like a blossoming flower. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026188811743860867.post-34578743033314721452015-01-08T00:43:00.003-05:002015-05-12T13:44:57.369-04:00“1st and 10 Years: The Cheating Game”<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This past Sunday, the call that made Cowboys fans rejoice and Lions fans go all Ray Rice on their television sets. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The infamous pass interference call in the 4<sup>th</sup> quarter that could have changed the outcome of the game, but was reversed because of who knows why; we may need to call in the Scooby gang to figure this one out.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qc5VCndYCGU/VK4Wv352JQI/AAAAAAAACa0/TXXCqumpOck/s1600/IdioticLivelyDavidstiger.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qc5VCndYCGU/VK4Wv352JQI/AAAAAAAACa0/TXXCqumpOck/s1600/IdioticLivelyDavidstiger.gif" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We can all argue our points as to whether it was or wasn’t the right call, but if we’re being honest here we will also admit that if it was our favorite team who just happened to be playing Detroit in that game we would have jumped for joy like someone in one of those old Toyota commercials when it was overturned.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ge45aXgvqGo/VK4Wg5UkOBI/AAAAAAAACas/HhuC0wwSw_o/s1600/1st%2Band%2B10%2BYears.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ge45aXgvqGo/VK4Wg5UkOBI/AAAAAAAACas/HhuC0wwSw_o/s1600/1st%2Band%2B10%2BYears.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Was it shady business?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well they were playing in Dallas and according to TMZ a Mr. Dean Blandino (league’s vice-president of officiating) was partying like it was 1999 on the Cowboys party bus just days before the game, things that make you go hmmm indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With me being an avid Giants fan, I do believe that the <s>Cowbitches,</s> sorry I’m trying to be professional here; the Cowboys did in fact pull a fast one and end up with an undeserved win. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, in all fairness to Dallas that’s really only because I hate them with a passion and anything that makes them look bad I’m all for it, so take it for what it’s worth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now as far as cheating is concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have news for you, once there was money to be made in the sporting world there was cheating to be had, and yes even with our beloved football, and yes even in today’s game. &nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the referees (who are just a direction of stripes away from being behind bars) to the teams who do things like inform the obviously medically enhanced franchise player of a “surprise” drug test to take place after the big game to everything in between, cheating is as much a part of football as the ball itself…just ask Bill Belichick.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HGrk1iCI1rE/VK4Xn9sViaI/AAAAAAAACbA/aKHkMvfo7CU/s1600/sports_money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HGrk1iCI1rE/VK4Xn9sViaI/AAAAAAAACbA/aKHkMvfo7CU/s1600/sports_money.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some players, referees and even teams (well except for the New York Giants of course) are as crooked as politicians, the NFL is nothing more than Capitol Hill, and to believe otherwise is utterly ridiculous. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When it comes to the players, above the law off the field but only if you’re having a winning season on the field, don’t believe me just ask Ray Lewis, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Michael Vick, Ray Rice, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bad calls, cheap shots and making it rain on players who are nothing more than a flash in the pan (Snickers anyone) all with the hopes of making it to the top of the mountain and bringing home the gold.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now of course spending an exuberant amount on money for the so-called next big thing isn’t a crime in itself, but it sure as hell should be, especially after these bastards end up sucking more than Monica Lewinsky.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously this past Sunday’s call/no-call pass interference fiasco wasn’t the first ever football what dafuq in the sports history, and trust me it won’t be the last, so just get over it and move on people…even if it does mean the Cowboys moving on (yuck).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--O1pkYi8MdU/VK4Y2OAzXVI/AAAAAAAACbM/IyJINlihk0U/s1600/green_bay_packers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--O1pkYi8MdU/VK4Y2OAzXVI/AAAAAAAACbM/IyJINlihk0U/s1600/green_bay_packers.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So now that all the cards are laid out on the table, and we’re all on the same page here, enjoy the game and may the best (and sneakiest) cheaters win.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here’s to Greenbay…at least for this upcoming weekend anyway.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To all those people who think that Tom Brady got a bum deal in the whole DeflateGate scandal...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The man is one of the most seasoned and decorated quarterbacks to play the game today, so to believe he wasn't aware of the deflated balls is just utterly ridiculous, we aren't talking about a rookie here.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's not so much that he was aware of it prior, but more so that he didn't bring it to anyone's attention while it was going on, so it's still cheating.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I personally think he got off easy.</span><br /><div><br /></div></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MJM</span><br /><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40160774-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>Michael Melehttps://plus.google.com/109204053088545699595noreply@blogger.com8